Category: D&D

Told You So

This video on the origins of tabletop RPGs made the rounds last week because Jason Tondro, in the white beard, took a few minutes to beat his breast and put on a hair shirt and self-flagellate that the hobby grew out of a normal guy scene in the late...

Gobbiton Update

In AD&D wolves are a pretty scary thing to encounter.  They are 2+ HD creatures and run in packs.  They are not for 1st level encounters, which should have served as an indication that running around the Wolflands is not for new characters, nor for n00b players. And when...

In Support of the Subsystem

Single mechanic RPGs are bad, mkay? Every time you think your interest in AD&D has run its course, that you’ve done all there is to do, you find another fun little subsystem that forces you to go back to the books and explore a whole new aspect of the...

Lone Wolves and Mass Combat

Recent experiments with mass combat run using AD&D as written have been wildly successful, even as they open up new avenues of exploration. Which is a fancy and nigh-journalistic way of saying that, after two battles, a glaring hole in my understanding has been exposed. On the matter of using...

Dungeon Design Training Wheels

This is an idea so brilliant, I wish I lacked the morals to claim it as my own. The power of Appendix A never ceases to amaze. Give any reasonably intelligent kid a couple run throughs of the Dungeon of Rando Death to Randos, and they will assuredly start...

D0rf Fortressing

We needed a full roster of the dwarves of Romek Zoden.  Fortunately for us, the Monster Manual provides us with some guidance.  I’ve already pushed out a YuTuub Short detailing the process, so let me just hit you with the high points. The base number of dwarves (4d10 x 10)...

AD&D Weapon Versus AC Adjustment

AD&D’s weapon versus AC adjustment table is the online recipe of tabletop RPGs.  Everybody that talks about it wants to talk around it. Or talk about their houserules. Or talk about people talking about it.  Or talk about how they calculated them better than Gary. Or sell you on...

TPK Blues

As it happens, nine first level PCs are no match for nineteen orcs, even if those orcs are dressed in fancy pants and poofy shirts. Particularly when those orcs are armed with polearms, backed by an effective leader, and on high alert. Yesterday’s delve (check the date on this...

Dungeon Design and Surprising Yourself

I’m sorry, what’s that, Gary? Don’t I tried this at home kids. In the Wolflands, while delving the local megadungeon, our intrepid heroes ran into three encounters with orc patrols. Those kinds of numbers indicate something interesting is going on. To explain the streaky nature of things, we decided...

Can’t Counter a Plan That Doesn’t Exist

Understanding and utilizing the principles of solo RPG play can have enormous positive impacts on your face-to-face (digital or meatspace) team-oriented RPG experiences. For one of the best examples that I have read on the subject, turn your browser to BDubs and Dragons.  The man has a gift for...