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Memory is a leaky reservoir, I agree. But does that mean we should also discount anyone's play experience from years past? When someone says that a DM railroaded the group, and they bring up how it stifled the campaign, should we reply with an implication that the event might not have occurred...

Fair enough. I replied with too hastily. There are probably several that use their real names.

Exactly. I never claimed CR scripts their stuff. And as for believing me, I really don't care if you (or anyone here) does. I know what I heard. I also know I am the only person that doesn't try to hide behind some internet pseudonym. I keep my discussions, and more importantly, who I am - out...

Sorry Clint, I was trying to be vague on details because I don't know if the two people involved want it to be known. I am merely respecting their right to a private conversation by keeping their anonymity. I do this with all writers I've had conversations with. This includes several tv writers...

I agree with you, to a point. But this was literally a two-hour discussion with notes being taken and specific lines and phrases that sound cool being jotted down. Like I said, it was very similar to a writers' roundtable. It was not a fifteen- or twenty-minute conversation with a player about...

Interesting. I had no idea. Maybe since so many of the cast members have "Hollywood" experience, it's not needed. Or maybe Mercer is actually better than everyone already gives him credit for. But it is interesting, nonetheless. My experience with the podcasters was eye-opening. I had always...

No. But there is no doubt that the vocabulary and phrasing of sentences can have just as great an impact on the emotional feel of a book (even a rulebook) than pictures. And, in that sense, I think 2e, 3e, and even the 2014 5th edition did a better job. It's not a large critique, but for me, it...

I am between salient and extensive. I feel the best campaigns I have been a part of had the DM complete "extensive detail" on their campaign setting, be it area, region, or world. Then used salient detail to prep for the actual adventure. With this mixture, improv times become more adhesive to...

I think a lot of campaigns start off this way. A singular, and hopefully, very specific planned encounter that helps incorporate mood, tone, and setting. Heck, as there are often little quests inside the primary story arc, I think several of them start off the same way too. Of course, this can...

While I agree with this sentiment, there is another side to this. Yes, the information is organized clearly. Yes, the examples are clear and concise. And yes, they changed the language in the book to read like a YA novel. The last part, the lower vocabulary and fewer use of compound and...

Ah... I really like the thought of the illusionist. Such a neat idea. But, I think the way newer editions are set up, the wizard's net catches most of what is cool about the "idea" of an illusionist. Also, the illusionist tends to have it Venn Diagram intersect with psionics as well.

On a similar note, I can tell you that several years ago my friend and I were in a random pub in the Northwest. We happened to be sitting next to a very popular (at the time) DM and well-known player for a D&D podcast. For two hours we listened to them discuss "how to introduce a magical item"...

I have not had a chance to read it in its entirety. But my initial takeaways are: The examples of play in the beginning (and the order of the book) seem more cohesive. It seems like it is written for a younger audience. Rule explanations are clear and concise, yet are sometimes separated by...

I 100% agree. I find it impossible to understand the bolded lines. But then I think about all the DMs I have chatted with (played with a few times). And this is what comes to my mind: They don't write an adventure - they outline. In effect, they basically improv their way through most of the...

Ah, ok. Branding would be good. It would actually be really nice if WotC published more "modules," similar to their old sets. I doubt it's financially responsible as a company, but I think it teaches young/inexperienced DMs much better than trying to play through a yearlong AP. Side not, I ran...

Thank you. I have Rime, and now that you mention it, that would be a great addition!

Almost all adventures from WotC have a section titled, "Running the Adventure." They also have flow charts, a section on how to use the maps, and how to tailor it to your table. Can you give an example of what is missing? (Thanks in advance for your answer. I am genuinely curious as to what else...

By the second session? How long are your sessions? (Or were you just using a bit of hyperbole to demonstrate your table's playstyle.) Maybe they mean that they edit as they play the adventure. I know our DM does that; editing as we go and incorporating NPCs we grew attached to or loathe into...

That... is... madness!

I buy adventures purely for inspiration. I like to read NPC motives, see the layout of encounters, and read the plot development along with its hooks. That said, I disagree with your statement about it getting easier. It gets easier to create, yes. But to write, not necessarily. Even for...