What does backwards compatibility mean? With respect to Dungeons & Dragons 2024 edition, it is very confused. Honestly, the game is mostly compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5E (2014), but there are areas where it falters. Subclasses are an obvious one. The levels of the subclasses change; in 2024, they’re all starting at level 3, which was not the case in 2014. A more subtle … Continue reading Backwards Compatible? Not without caveats!
The Stealth rules of Dungeons & Dragons 5E (2014) were some of the more developed skill rules in the system. Most skills had very little rules text. As hiding is somewhat important to D&D games – especially those with rangers and rogues – you sort of want them in the game. My main problems with the 2014 rules were that they were scattered throughout the … Continue reading Stealth Rules in D&D 2024
Given the recent changes to twitter, I will rarely be posting there from now on. Unless things get significantly better. You can follow me on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/merricb.bsky.social Continue reading Goodbye, Twitter
One of the things that amuses me on the internet is people telling other people that a computer game isn’t a RPG. For those of us who mostly exist in the tabletop space, well – computer RPGs typically lack the one distinguishing feature of a tabletop RPG: A Gamemaster. You don’t have the human interaction and creativity that allows the game to deal with any … Continue reading What is an RPG?
In the city of Zobeck, in the world of Midgard, trouble was brewing. It began, as many might expect, amongst the kobolds. And likely, there were gnomes involved as well. Despite years of supporting Kobold Press in their Kickstarters, I am quite unfamiliar with the world of Midgard, my players even more so. Following the underwhelming ending of Vecna: Eve of Ruin, I felt I … Continue reading Empire of the Ghouls, part 1
I bang on a lot about adventure structure, because, in my opinion, it’s the most likely thing to sabotage a published adventure. Published D&D adventures have a strange relationship with the form. By their very nature, they constrain the activities of the players. However, they also provide opportunities for adventure. It’s that balance between the constraints and the opportunities that is so hard to get … Continue reading No One Adventure Type to Rule Them All
We are entering the last days of Dungeons & Dragons, 5th edition. Yes, I know that Wizards of the Coast wants you to believe that the 2024 edition is not a new edition of the game, but everything we’ve seen indicates a significant overhaul of the player-facing mechanics of the game. It’s still compatible, in that way in which AD&D 1E was compatible with AD&D … Continue reading The Fading of Fifth Edition
Monday, March 4, 2024. We began this session in the middle of Chapter 7. The heroes were in the mind flayer stronghold of Illithinoch, having dealt with a few cult fanatics and actually peacefully interacting with other inhabitants. Their next explorations took them to an old, deserted lecture hall and beyond – into a large room with a diseased Elder Brain. Syzoth did not react … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 19
What do I want in a campaign setting? Relatability. What am I talking about? Primarily I’m talking about constructing a setting that you understand and relate to. The more elements in a campaign setting that are items you don’t understand, the harder it is to understand the setting. This isn’t to say that a good setting is comprised of entirely familiar elements. However, each aspect … Continue reading Campaign Settings and Shared Mythology
Greyhawk is, for many of us, generic D&D fantasy. This isn’t surprising. It’s where the game comes from. The baseline to the game. The Forgotten Realms likewise feel like generic D&D fantasy these days, but Greyhawk has some significant differences that make it a lot more fun for me – at least. (I love the Realms; I love Greyhawk more). Most important in that is … Continue reading Things I love about Greyhawk
