Recent content by Reynard

I have tried to use real world castles in play and they just don't work well for what D&D is trying to do. I don't think realism in dungeon design creates fun play.

Is there a difference to the players, do you think? (assuming they don't know whether the GM used a table or not)

Let's talk about map design for dungeons in D&D. What works, what doesn't. What promotes good exploration play versus what hinders it. I see a lot of maps on r/battlemaps (for example) that are IMO bad dungeon design (even for small dungeons) They are usually linear, without any real choices in...

I strongly disagree with your whole take, but this is where I think you are revealing the weakness in your argument: you are imagining some sort of viking hat GM as the only possible explanation for "falling damage should kill you" and it is easily, demonstrably not the case. Look, if you had...

I think this is wrong because the motivation (as far as we know) for Gygax was to model something, not create a useful or fun gameplay element.

I mean I guess but I nixed it in the OP for a reason.

That's not an adaptation of a module though, is it?

This raises* the question: what is the line between an abstraction and a simulation mechanic? *not "begs." That's not what "begs the question" means.

+ doesn't mean "no dissent." It just means, "be productive and civil in your debates."

There's a difference between "could survive" and "no chance of dying" at least if some attempt at modeling reality is the goal. There are other ways to do it than rolling hit point damage, of course, so we don't have to toss the baby out with the bathwater. But if the player says "20d6? I've got...

No one reads the OP... I considered this, too, but thought it might be too expensive. RHoD is a great module I keep meaning to convert.

Right. it depends on how you might frame that failure. First of all, why were we making a roll to lift a tankard? Why wasn't this an automatic success (or failure, I suppose)? Whatever the reason, the failure doesn't mean "Lol, the barbarian is too weak to lift his ale!" The description of the...

The problem with mazes is by themselves they are simply not fun. I have had good success with having the PCs stalked through a maze, though, but then it is less about mapping and more about surviving and hoping to blunder across an escape.

While true, this thread is about D&D tv.

Yes, rule elements like the very granular weapon reach and space rules, or weapons versus armor types, from AD&D 1E are simulationist rules.