Recent content by J-H

I have found myself using a strategic time crunch or clock in most of my games. It helps prevent the 5 minute adventuring day, as well as creating opportunity costs for more decisions. "Do we X or Y" is much better than "Do we do X then Y?"

How do you make a spell-less ranger work? The 3.5 version, as I vaguely recall, was not very good. In 5e, a spell-less ranger and a Scout rogue pretty much overlap completely.

The 5e Ranger had a very weak spell list across the first 3 levels of spells, with some good spells that come online late game. The Paladin list, in comparison, is much stronger, and the Paladin is one of the best-built classes in the game. Part of the issue is the Paladin's better damage...

A fiendishly influenced dire sword crab. Why? 1. It doesn't actually swim, so it's not limited to water. 2. It has native blindsight, so muddy, dark waters are its ally. 3. It can grab foes and drag them underwater to drown (if they can't breathe water). 4. Because it's a sword crab, it's...

I implemented the "HP growth stops at 10" in my Baldur's Gate II game (alongside a LOT of magic item availability). I've been very happy with it. Only the martials and rogue are over 100hp at level 17. The one fight where an enemy wizard opened with Meteor Swarm did involve the Cleric going...

Or you have to have an explanation for the abilities. Osteomantic Shield spell doesn't work as well for you, because you're a living being, not an undead like the Bone Death Wizard you just fought. Phil's Phlebotomy only does 4d8 damage when you cast it because you're not a vampire. If you...

This is basically what I ended up coming up with a system to do. Link: PC-like NPC chart It's on the DM's Guild, but PWYW and the primary chart is visible in the preview, except the spellcasting columns seem to have been cut because it's displayed Portrait instead of landscape. You go across...

All the time to some extent Setting - sometimes Monsters - always Class rule tweaks - always Player options - some, but I rarely have players take me up on it Magic items - usually

I would take a page from 2e and cap hit point growth at level 10. At level 11+, classes gain 3, 2, or 1 hit points (warrior, cleric/rogue/bard/druid/etc., wizard/sorc/warlock) upon levelup. I have done this in my BG2 5e game and it has helped prevent the massive HP bloat that I have previously...

I finished Justin Alexander's book, and my son has mostly finished it. It's more "How to structure a campaign" than "How to DM" in my mind. Very little on monster roles and making individual combats interesting, but plenty on how to make those encounters fit into a bigger story or adventure...

What specific enemies is the party facing, and in what number? You want to look out for numbers that are at the high end of the spectrum. Key examples: 1. Monsters with AC 18+ where the lack of Extra Attack means the martials aren't hitting most turns. 2. Enemies with a lot of HP vs. the...

Baldur's Gate 2 had two returning daggers, the Firetooth (+1d6 fire damage, +3 dagger) and another +2 that I don't recall the name of. There were also four returning axes. One was Azuredge (throwing axe mace of disruption, Good creatures only), another was Riftholm +2 (apparently dwarven, but...

I thought New Holland was a tractor company.

I once tried a PBP game concept, but too many people flaked: The party was all 8th level (give or take), except for one second level character, who was equipped with several magical items not typically allowed for a character of that level. That character was the young entitled prince(ess...

My BG2 group drinks them like water. The rogue has no self-healing, the sorcerer has gloves with cure wounds twice a day, the fighter only has second wind, and the cleric prefers to only use spell slots in combat. HP growth capped off at level 10, so none of them have over 100hp at level 17...