Recent content by GMMichael

Or a virus...

That's funny. I bet he caps dragonfire damage. Well, I recall reading that the CIA expects non-recoverable injuries after a fall of at least 70 feet. So 200 feet isn't the worst number. But more importantly: why is it called falling damage? Falling doesn't hurt. Hitting something does...

D&D isn't married to medievalism in the first place. Hard to divorce it, then. There are no fundamental mechanisms for plague, (economic) class standing, or religious conquest, to give some examples. As for pushing D&D into a more futuristic setting, it's much safer to append a...

I'm curious about these cast-anything wizards. It sounds horribly dangerous. I can see kingdoms tolerating and/or employing spell-based wizards when 1) they can use magic, but 2) at least the capabilities of this magic are known, because the wizard maintains a book of the spells she knows...

As we all know (/snark), Gandalf knew only three spells: speak with moths, continual light, and force charm (or was that Obi Wan?). The rest of his magic required his epic-level staff (just ask Wormtongue). So why do some wizards need 10-pound spellbooks? Isn't three spells, plus a staff...

The monk's a fighter who eschews armor. And weapons. I'd define the bard as the persuader who is very likely to carry a musical instrument. The official bard might be the gal-who's-almost-good-at-everything, but that's a boring concept for a class. This is nice support for three classes...

Medieval zombies weren't typically into brains-consumption; that's more of a 20th-century zombie issue, due to the invention of the brains-depleting television. Due to the majority of medieval zombies formerly being peasants, they were a much more eat-the-rich-type of crowd, which is a nuance...

Look, Neon, we don't say the B-word, or else one shows up... And here he is. I was thinking four is the right number of classes for a streamlined version of 3e (plus 4e healing and recharges): the sacred fighter, cleric, wizard, and thief. But the cleric is already a multiclass, so we whittle...

It's not a book, but it's totally worth a donation: https://donjon.bin.sh/d20/treasure/index.cgi

I wrote 13 essential rules for a DRPG. In the form of mechanisms, these are: A game master (GM) presents a setting and leads a discussion that the group forms into a story. The GM rolls a d20 against a player's d20 to determine if some situations go well or poorly. These results can receive...

The nation used to be the best, ever. America (USA?) and Australia have some special conditions going for them. Is this why I have to suffer through horrible renditions of '90s songs whenever I watch a new movie trailer?

Clarice: "Because: magic." Clarice: "Better question: does the wizard want to walk up to the potentially trapped and overwatched door, and close her eyes for a moment while she casts a spell on it? Maybe the nimble, lightly armored thief should do it." Thanks for this; my head was starting to...

Good question, which, I think, ties in with this suggestion: The Familiar Spirit perk is what creates the metaphysical bond - the difference between a faithful pet dog and a dog that goes to bark at the forest ranger until he follows the dog to his wounded owner's location. The faithful pet...

That's a high bar. It's like asking Led Zeppelin to put out an album better than Led Zeppelin II. Nice, thorough review. I liked the funfact(s) about G. Gygax. It leaves me wondering: do the epic fights look like HP-slugfests? Are there elements included to make/keep them interesting? if...

I GM a game that includes a PC who plays a gnome with a furry woodland friend: a giant badger. I also GM a rules-light game that has no rules for animal companions: they're not required to act on your turn, they don't have power progression tables, and you don't lose a point of Constitution...