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I was thinking about this in relation to both Shadowdark and Dragonsbane, each of which identifies itself asa classic feel with a modern design. What does that mean to you? What elements of game design are modern, and what elements are "classic"? How much of the game needs to be "modernized"...

The alternate PHB 2024 cover thread got me thinking about consistency in art direction for RPGs. Specifically, that cover is really great, but very likely won't look like anything else in the book (whereas the regular cover probably will). That would disappoint me, if I bought the book online or...

I was looking at Eldritch Wizardry in response to another thread, but this description caught my eye: The book you now hold in your hand represents new dimensions to an already fascinating game system. This is the third supplement to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and was produced as a result of an ever...

After sitting down and reading through the Dragonbane rulebook last night, I have realized that I just don't want to pour through 1000 pages of rules to run/play D&D anymore. Therer is no reason that 5E (or any other edition for that matter) can't be presented in a concise, complete, robust form...

From another thread: Emphasis mine So, I was very, very wrong. I was sure they would have created something new with appeal directed at GenZ players. Not the first time I have been wrong. Oh well. But, I am curious why. Why Greyhawk? I mean, sure, 50th anniversary, but is that all? What does...

I have recently seen an uptick in FB ads for an upcoming KS for DC20, which appears to be another 5E variant. As I understand it, this is a game by a well known blogger/youtuber, and Patrons have had access to the game's alpha state for a while. What is it? What interesting things does it do...

I am very curious about the history of actual play of TTRPGs as a form of spectator entertainment. I think we all know about CR starting as a Pathfinder game and then moving online with 5E, but they were hardly the first. Who was the first? What was the first live play podcast? Were people live...

It occurred to me as I was trying to formulate a response to another thread that I, as GM, don't actually care which PHB -- or combination of PHBs -- my players care to use. Or PC facing supplements for that matter. If I run 5E, I am going to use a combination of rules from the various forms of...

Note: This says 5E on the tin, but I include all 5E variants in that -- so ToV, A5E and whatever else. I have been mentioning and thinking about this for a while: the warlock chassis, that is the basic mechanical structure of the class, seems to me to be the best overall structure in 5E. More...

I am starting this thread in an effort to leave poor @Marc Radle alone in his Black Flag SRD thread. I don't want to stymie discussion of that for folks that want to dig into it. My apologies for even starting this discussion there. I feel very strongly about Open Gaming. I was, and still am...

I have never liked the subclass system in 5E, but it has taken me a while to really understand why. Specifically, it has taken me running Pathfinder 2E to help me to understand why. So there is going to be some comparison in this post. But I am not also just saying "play PF2!" There are a lot of...

I had an idea for a loose campaign background and structure and thought it would be fun to come up with the details here collectively. One their very first adventure, the PCs end in possession of something extremely valuable. Whatever it is, there are going to be a lot of factions and...

What is your favorite Star Wars TTRPG memory or experience? What games do you prefer to use for Star Wars as a TTRPG? Is there an official SW RPG you prefer? What about unofficial. + because we're celebrating! By far the most success I have ever had with Star Wars as a TTRPG -- and I have...

The idea of "re-skinning" comes up pretty often, where you take a stat-block of a well known creature but alter the way you describe it, maybe change a few minor things like damage type, and have a whole new monster. What I think comes up less often is the idea of re-loring a monster: that is...

I really like GinniD. She is a skilled GM, enthusiastic about the hobby, and makes everyone viewing her channel feel welcome. Her most recent video, though, got me thinking about something that has been scratching violently at the back of my mind: There are other games than D&D, and these...

Just out of curiosity, what genres do you like specifically in TTRPG form? I will try and make the poll as comprehensive as possible, but I am sure I will miss something so feel free to mention it in the comments.

This thread is not about bad adventures. this thread is about bad adventure starts. It may be that the whole adventure is bad, but it is also possible that the adventure is good -- once you get past the hamfisted, weird, railroady or otherwise no-good hook built into the adventure. Note also...

I off handedly suggested this idea in another thread but wanted to dedicate a discussion specifically to spitballing how it might work. I know more games have used continuous initiative, but I first encountered it with Hackmaster 5E (the non joke edition). If you haven't encountered it, the...

Friends of mine and I are going to origins together this year and we have started looking for games to play as event registration approaches (May 4 FYI). I have noticed a bunch of paid events, and am a little shocked. it doesn't seem to be based on any particular quality of the game, just some...

In most D&D campaigns, the PCs are "adventurers." But, aside from the circular "they go on adventures" definition, there often isn't much of an effort to define what that means exactly. In the real world when we talk about adventurers (to the extent we do) we usually mean people that take on...