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Weight of Gold Coins in D&D and what to do about it
Medieval Sourcebook: Medieval Price List
The list of medieval prices which follows is by no means complete or thoroughly researched
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The list of medieval prices which follows is by no means complete or thoroughly
researched
Birdmen and the Casual Fallacy
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The game industry was, and still is,
distinctively hardcore. They generate their profits from
sequels and big blockbuster games. The developers are all
hardcore. The publishers are generally hardcore as well.
When a hardcore gamer looks at a
hardcore game, he sees sophistication, magnificence,
and, most important, art as if it were a mirror image
facing him. When a hardcore gamer looks as a casual game, he
sees simplicity, non-art, easiness, and, in
sum, a retardation of gaming. Hardcore view casual
games not as progress in gaming but as games tailor made for
gaming retards.
Random Bar Quality: Guest Post by Kinslayer | UncleBear
This is a 1D20 chart for the quality of bars, taverns, pubs, inns, and other wretched hives of scum and villainy. It is a random bar quality chart for random bar hopping.
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This is a 1D20 chart for the quality of bars, taverns, pubs, inns, and other wretched hives of scum and villainy. It is a random bar quality chart for random bar hopping.
The Dangers of Designated Love Interests - Exchange of Realities
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People will do amazing things for the ones they love; as a result, such love can be a motivator for story characters and game characters alike. So it’s often tempting to create a character specifically for the purpose of creating a romantic attachment: a Designated Love Interest, or DLI.
That’s when the trouble starts.
Image courtesy of mikelawrey from stock.xchng.
Limyaael has a lot to say about the Designated Love Interest in novel format, mostly having to do with the fact that said DLI isn’t really human, strains internal consistency by how her romances begin, and is generally cliché and undercharacterized. And yet, despite these flaws, a story with a bad DLI can reach its predetermined end; it just requires the writer to completely overwrite the characters. (The fact that this is bad fictional practice is another matter entirely.)
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People will do amazing things for the ones they love; as a result, such love can be a motivator for story characters and game characters alike. So it’s often tempting to create a character specifically for the purpose of creating a romantic attachment: a Designated Love Interest, or DLI.
That’s when the trouble starts.
Image courtesy of mikelawrey from stock.xchng.
Limyaael has a lot to say about the Designated Love Interest in novel format, mostly having to do with the fact that said DLI isn’t really human, strains internal consistency by how her romances begin, and is generally cliché and undercharacterized. And yet, despite these flaws, a story with a bad DLI can reach its predetermined end; it just requires the writer to completely overwrite the characters. (The fact that this is bad fictional practice is another matter entirely.)
Improving Your Putting from Six Feet
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Many years ago there was a segment during a golf broadcast on television in which the field reporter asked numerous PGA Tour pros what percentage of 6-foot putts they made. (This was obviously in the days before StatLink). Most of the pros guessed around 85 to 90-percent.
Only Ben Crenshaw - no surprise - got it right: touring pros at that time were making only half their putts from six feet.
Dr. Checkmate’s Ode to Savage Worlds | UncleBear
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On a related note, d4 to d12 (or d4-2 to d12+2) doesn’t allow for a whole lot of granularity. You’re basically talking about all traits being on a scale of 1 to 5. Even some how making it a scale of 1 to 10 would be an improvement.
Interlude: Character Death « Bard of Valiant
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In addition, I challenge the entire premise. Books and movies are excellent examples of my point of view. The main character isn’t going to die and you know it the entire time. No matter how steep the cliff, how deadly the bullets, how invasive the poison, the hero lives and we still have engaging blockbuster films and New York Times Bestseller novels. Why? Because the Story is Just That Good.
A graphical representation of Rule of Cool | Greywulf's Lair
Dr. Checkmate's observation
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I disagree.
Purely subjective of course, but one man’s cool is another man’s goofy. And there is no rule of goofy.
RPG Diehard: Cautionary Tales from the Sandbox
His post serves as a cautionary tale about what to avoid in a sandbox campaign. It seems Ripper X was a little too wedded to the sandbox concept and could probably have been a bit more liberal with his random encounters (as in, fudge the die rolls so they actually happen, or adjust the rules so you’re rolling more frequently) without infringing too much on the spirit of the game. Moreover, it’s important to note that sandbox games are defined by their lack of a linear plot — but not necessarily their lack of story. Time spent exploring should be time well spent; the PCs should learn something important about the area, uncover a villain or stumble across a previously unknown map feature.
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His post serves as a cautionary tale about what to avoid in a sandbox campaign. It seems Ripper X was a little too wedded to the sandbox concept and could probably have been a bit more liberal with his random encounters (as in, fudge the die rolls so they actually happen, or adjust the rules so you’re rolling more frequently) without infringing too much on the spirit of the game. Moreover, it’s important to note that sandbox games are defined by their lack of a linear plot — but not necessarily their lack of story. Time spent exploring should be time well spent; the PCs should learn something important about the area, uncover a villain or stumble across a previously unknown map feature.
Random Dungeons and Dragons Encounters, Pros and Cons
a misunderstanding of the purpose of random encounters
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I think that a solid understanding of what a random encounter does will help you decide how to include them into your game, if at all.
Save the Rust Monster
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Some people are really pissed that Wizards of the Coast cut the Rust Monster from the new 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. This creature was one of the original, classic creepy creatures from the old school pre-AD&D days.
RPG Diehard: Help me make monsters scary again
So I'm busily populating my Points of Light hex map with encounters and threats, and I'm having a really hard time with monsters. Gryphons and harpies and werebears...they're all so quintessentially fantasy, but they don't scare me -- and I worry they'll have a similar effect on my players.
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So I'm busily populating my Points of Light hex map with encounters and threats, and I'm having a really hard time with monsters. Gryphons and harpies and werebears...they're all so quintessentially fantasy, but they don't scare me -- and I worry they'll have a similar effect on my players.
Philosophy of Games: The Happy Medium Principle (When Ought A GM Call For A Dice Roll Part ii)
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And this is something I'd thought about before: What principled ways can a GM call for a dice roll? This is the philosopher in me being concerned that I'm merely using intuitive feelings to decide when it's appropriate to ask players for a dice roll and not a rational principle. If a GM asked players to roll for everything, this would be principled. It would also be tedious and turn role play into nothing more than a dice game.
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