For Dungeon Masters

Feature articles of interest to DMs.

Save or Die and Lethality in D&D Next

23
March 7, 2012
Setting the PCs Up to Fail

So, the designers at WotC are talking save or die mechanics and lethality this week. Mike’s got some ideas about hedging save or die mechanics with hit point thresholds or slow-acting effects and Monte has jumped right in with a discussion about game lethality in general. And I am sitting here thinking ‘either I’ve...
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Aligning D&D Next

34
February 8, 2012
The D&D Boss Fight

Wizards has sparked some discussion on alignment and D&D Next on Twitter. Here’s my quick, rambling take. Alignment is a relic. I say this as someone who has personally always used alignment and enjoyed what it brings to the game. Alignment is an old-fashioned idea. It probably doesn’t belong in D&D Next except as...
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The Two Faces of Healing

17
February 3, 2012
For DMs

This is kind of rough and dirty. I’m throwing it out as a quick response to Bruce Cordell’s recent D&D Next article about healing, which you can read here. Of course, just because it’s a quick response, doesn’t mean it is not also a long response because, hell, its me. I’m just warning you...
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Key Ability Scores Can Suck It

32
September 27, 2011
For DMs

Okay, let’s do this one quickly. Listen up. I got drawn into a discussion on Twitter this morning about Monte Cook’s first Legends and Lore column and about skills in 4E. A few folks brought up The Religion Problem and, honestly, this one was new to me. “Where have you been, Angry?” I know,...
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Play a New RPG Month

8
September 17, 2011
For Players

All right, people, listen up. October is Play a New RPG Month. Hadn’t you heard? No? Well, that’s because it’s a new thing. The folks over at the Dice of Doom podcast started it as a result of their Great Gaming Experiment. What’s that, you ask? Oh, come on. If you aren’t following the...
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