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My dog Hektor lives on!

I've been listening to Plague of Spells, as most excellently narrated by...

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WotC_Bruce is now friends with talien3 and 4 other people.

The Advantage of Rolling Dice

Advantage (and disadvantage) debuted in the May 24th D&D Next playtest packet...

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Azoreth

"I like many of the opinions pro A/D floks."
Folks... I meant folks...

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July 19, 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Azoreth

Uhg. Nuts! In the future I will endeavor to READ the published rules a little bit better before putting up posts. Sorry.
The bit with the hobgoblins getting a +2 to AC rather than pcs attacking with disadvantage is right there in the "cover" section for half cover. Seems like I made the same call the developers would, but it creates a new, perhaps tougher, question. 5th ed still uses a form of the +/- system, not A/D exclusively. So what will the difference be between gaining a +/- to a...

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July 25, 2012 2:03 PM PDT

The Spy Who Fireballed Me

The release of the first public playtest packet and blogs such as Wizard...

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Gnurd0

This is such a tease! Talking about 5th level and backgrounds you didn't put in the playtest. I love the background/trait combination. It's been fun to test, and I can't wait till I have more to work with. The flexibility it will give is fantastic.

July 12, 2012 2:34 PM PDT

Ramses42

I like the concept of Themes giving the ability to go off Class with abilities. But, one element with 4th Ed. that most of players didn't like was the All-In approach with Themes, Paragon Classes and Epic Destinies. Almost always, one or two of the powers or traits would be perfect, but the rest would just be wrong. As a result, most of the players in my 4th Ed games have customized themes and paragon paths. It seems that this is the going to be the case with Backgrounds and Themes. It seems...

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August 7, 2012 10:31 PM PDT

GMChris voted in the poll, "Magic properties 2".

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Ranger Design Goals

We’ve shared the design goals of several D&D classes, including the...

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Ashrym

The problem with capping D&D classes to 4 comes in when we have so many different ideas on what constitutes the attributes of a class from previous editions, such as the varying views on ranger in these posts.
Another example would be the bard, which could be a warrior skald, arcane trickster, advisor and keeper of knowledge, roguish gypsy, and more.
A general rule I would suggest is that a class with a wide variety of potential backgrounds is worth class and alternative classes...

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August 8, 2012 6:28 PM PDT

Ramses42

I think that there should be more than 4 class options, but in the modular spirit of D&D Next, it should be possible to play with ONLY those classes and still have a good variety. With Themes you could make a Hunter/Stalker Fighter or Rogue. (Of Course, where the concept of Themes really shines is the possbily of Hunter/Stalker Wizards and other combination that are not obvious and cliche :)). I agree that Rangers should not be bound to one terrain, but have options to be from any environment. I...

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August 9, 2012 1:19 AM PDT

WotC_Bruce posted a new blog post.

Inspirations for Spinner of Lies

I've got a novel coming out tomorrow. Here's some insight on where a few of...

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Variations on a Monstrous Theme

A few weeks ago, Tom shared some thoughts about D&D design and...

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Ramses42

The monsters in D&D Next are bland. But, hey, we are just starting out. I have regularly added an ability or two to monsters to keep them from just being sources of damage. The Monsters in 4th Ed. are better because they where not just a Goblin, but many types of Goblins, each with their own special powers and abilities. With Pathfinder, you can add classes to monsters, but that does take time and is hard to run off the cuff. It is easy to add powers to monster in 4th Ed. My suggestion would be...

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August 9, 2012 1:33 AM PDT

Ramses42

Oh, one more thing. I keep seeing comments like "The DM should just add or alter whatever they want". That is true and a good philosphy. But, if DMs are just supposed to make it up themselves, then why have a rulebook? And how are the players supposed to have any idea what to expect?

August 9, 2012 1:37 AM PDT

Paladin Design Goals

A few weeks ago, we shared a high-level overview of the design goals for the...

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Marandahir

Except then You have to sacrifice your background and specialty choices just to approximate that class, rather than having an equal ability to explore different stories within the class as the Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, and Wizard do.
NO WAY.

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January 25, 2013 6:22 AM PST

The_MeatShield

I think in relation to paragraph 2 above, it would be awesome if a paladin had martial dice to use but instead of straight damage they could be used to provide effects based on deity choice. For example: I follow the edicts of a god of healing and as an option I can spend a martial die on a hit allowing the party member with the lowest HP to gain HP equal to a given modifier.

February 24, 2013 9:32 AM PST

Goblins Care Only About Your Axe

I’ve played a lot of D&D lately. But even when using rules prone to...

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Azoreth

It is a very smart idea to be able to incorperate both styles of play (TotM/grid) into one game system. Not only do you find both types of encounters (2 guards/big final battle) and both types of players' tastes. But it would create a great amount of flexibility in the game itself. That is what our imagination can do, now D&D might do it as well. I love the fact that a DM or module would have the freedom to say "You know, they would probably post a pair of guards." and be able to run it quickly...

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June 16, 2012 1:29 PM PDT

Gnurd0

This is intriguing, and I have to admit, I haven't really given much thought as to whether or not a particular encounter warrants grid and minis (I'm a bit of a grognard). This will be interesting to see. I'm actually going to start trying more TotM style combats in my games for the smaller encounters.

July 12, 2012 2:42 PM PDT

Wizard with a License to Kill

Some of Rob’s latest blogs have described a possible approach to D&D...

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Avric_Tholomyes

I have mixed feelings about Backgrounds and themes... I feel that they are miles ahead of what D&D has done in the past. But then, I think back to what other systems do:
The system Mutants & Masterminds, a Point-buy d20 based Superhero system, has a source-book for using it in a Fantasy setting. I don't particularly like using it for that, since it just wasn't really built for that scale, but one thing that the sourcebook did impart to me is that it made me begin to question why...

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June 25, 2012 11:51 PM PDT

Rablin

I've never liked the mechanic of multiclassing but the theme / background sounds like a better fit for simulation than suddenly learning to cast spells or wield divine power. A more subtle way to customise a character than change its direction completely.

July 9, 2012 11:50 AM PDT

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Resilient Heroes

Demascus coughed up grit. He tried to spit, but his mouth was too dry. Why...

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Rablin

I like the idea of limited self healing as it helps the flow of the game. If after every fight the party has to rest for 8 hrs nothing would ever get done or every subsequent fight gets more and more deadly, especially if the adventure has time constraints. It should not be during combat, that is the clerics job or get potions. The Playtest idea is great but may need further scaling if it works out too powerful.

July 9, 2012 11:11 AM PDT

GMChris

I feel very strongly that the level of healing generally being discussed trashes the 4th wall. Magic allows for a lot of leeway in modelling, but without magic, healing should take place at a rate akin to reality- or at least no better than a typical action film. I hope you create an optional modular rule doing this, because for those gamers that left at the introduction of 4th ed, I think this is probably the largest issue. Imagine in real life (doesn't matter if you are the toughest person...

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March 19, 2013 8:23 AM PDT

Imagination, the Grid, and Points Between

When I first started playing D&D oh so many years ago, fights with monsters...

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ruttentud

I don't understand why people relate using a grid & miniatures to having deep and fulfilling combat. In my experience, people who play with miniatures are more prone to metagaming during combat - and that is definitely NOT fun nor fulfilling for me. Not using a grid invokes more creative actions I think, but using a grid doesn't prohibit you from doing anything (if it does, you've got the wrong DM!)

June 19, 2012 1:17 PM PDT

Kayal

I agree with ruttentud & find TotM combats much more fulfilling than tactical grid battles ... when the battle occurs entirely in your imagination, it isn't restricted by the position of miniatures on the playing field.
So, when Seti says (a page back) that "theatre of the mind can work, if the group doesn't want complex, fulfilling combat encounters" he is clearly seeing things differently than I do (and being a little demeaning, as well).
While miniature combat can be complex in...

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June 26, 2012 2:29 PM PDT

Crypt of the Ninja Queen

D&D’s beating heart is its wealth of adventures. Recall titles such as...

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marco9999

Short adventures are great. They can be whipped up when people decide to play D&D on a whim and concluded in a single session. Cool!
I also have a soft spot for adventure paths and similar 1st to x lvl arcs, but remember to give strong hooks for the characters, ideas and concepts the players can work on so that the experience can be more personal and intense (Scales of War needed this badly, but you never even told the DMs what was gonna happen next, and it comes off as a sprawling,...

View full comment Short adventures are great. They can be whipped up when people decide to play D&D on a whim and concluded in a single session. Cool!

I also have a soft spot for adventure paths and similar 1st to x lvl arcs, but remember to give strong hooks for the characters, ideas and concepts the players can work on so that the experience can be more personal and intense (Scales of War needed this badly, but you never even told the DMs what was gonna happen next, and it comes off as a sprawling, tangled chaos of a plot, y'know?).

Avoid world-shaking events. You do know by now people don't like them. At least avoid them in canon. You -can- publish an adventure about something like the Time of Troubles or the Spellplague, but leave this stuff strictly optional, don't incorporate it in official timelines, books and rules -leave the choice to the players (that's sort of my anthem, ain't it? Or at least part of it... be flexible, keep it simple, leave the choice to the players...).

Open-ended (or even better, sandbox, if I get what you mean) is great. Aim for a lot of these. No railroading. No one likes railroading. Railroading subtly is a very complex technique and it usually doesn't pay anyhow. Give us basic plots and let us enter and exit them however we want. That does work. Remember your last Neverwinter setting? That rocks. Great freedom, great potential... aim for stuff like that.

As for urban vs dungeon vs wilderness, mystery vs action vs horror, emphasis on roleplaying or tactics or story or all of them... you'll have to give us a little of everything. Most of us like all of this stuff, some things more than others, but variety is the key here. Publish very different stuff. Traps and puzzles and clue-searching and intrigue, they're all important in different moments to different people. You can publish whole adventures or even settings focusing on some elements instead of others, and adventures too. Oh, and remember to give us hooks why we should care about this stuff. Of course everyone will be interested in different things, so tell the DM what kind of conflicts and NPCs and developments they can expect. We freed the dwarven fortress from the orcs squatting in it? Nice. The dwarf reconquered the fortress of their ancestors and destroyed the orc army who slayed those same ancestors? Now we're getting to something meatier. Personal involvement makes everything a lot more exciting for everyone. Always give possible hooks and ties -to NPCs, archvillains, situations, locations, items... everything you can. Not just based on class and "race" -think about all the possible things that might heighten up the ante -loved ones, hometowns, sworn enemies and old rivals, mentors and church-given missions... power is cool, but power without a thrilling story behind it is just... uh, we've all been there, haven't we? We've all found our magic weapons and whatnots... make it personal, folks. Make it in your face, close up and -personal.

May 12, 2012 3:58 AM PDT

AnnaDruvez

I enjoy all of the listed elements in moderation. Short campaigns are fun, so are long ones. There are no real favorite, depending on what characters I have running and what the players want to play. Maybe I'm a little crazy that way.
My biggest peeve is that sometimes you just can't get everyone together and still want to run a quick (hour or so) session. So, my least favorite part of any campaign is either having to scale it down to the number of players I have or having to quickly...

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May 26, 2012 7:02 AM PDT

The great thing about 4th Edition is that the character choices provide...

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Righel

I like varying complexities and mechanics between character classes. That's what makes it fun. A wizard doesn't have healing powers, sword-skills, armor, or an affinity for stealth and shadow. In being a wizard you have chosen that you want to be a spellcaster, one who fights with his magic. In being a rogue, you have forgone spellbooks and claymores for sneak attacks and lock-picking. Maybe the NUMBER of traits doesn't add up, but those traits are also in varying areas of that character, and...

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August 5, 2012 9:52 PM PDT

GMChris

Just joined and grinding through previous posts. I wanted to agree with Blackdrazon. I believe it is very important to have classes that are both simpler and more complicated than the median (yes, that will happen by definition, buy you know what I mean). There need to be novice-friendly classes to introduce new players, and more complex classes for those who like to juggle options.
The simple option is especially important. I run a youth D&D game and I've watched them run through...

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March 19, 2013 7:38 AM PDT

GMChris voted in the poll, "Ease vs. Complexity".

1 person likes this poll.

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