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Armor Systems
In my last post about Armor Class, I spoke about the pros and cons of Armor Class (which are really more like the things I find irritating about it as a mechanic). Let us talk about armor systems as a whole and how they function. Evasion (Armor Class) This is Armor Class. It's evasion, making a character harder to hit. Aside from D&D, it's not an uncommon system. In (new) World of Darkness, armor applies a penalty to attack rolls (and, as attack rolls influence damage rolls,
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May 207 min read
Armor Class: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Armor Class in D&D "just works," but it's not perfect. Where does it hit and where does it miss?
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May 174 min read
Saving Throws, A Few Thoughts
I have a few thoughts on saving throws as a historical artifact and game design element.
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May 167 min read
5e and Design Bloat
D&D 5e is a bloated mess, and it shouldn't be. At its core, there is a simple, streamlined system that ought to be fast at the table: 1d20 + modifiers vs. DC and a simple pass/fail resolution. The variable modifiers of previous editions have been trimmed down to advantage and disadvantage. Despite this, the game is somehow bloated in its design. Why? How? Well, it's because 5e refused to create a cohesive system and offloaded all its complexity to its class mechanics and the
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May 1110 min read
OSR: Converting D&D to Utilize d6s Instead of that Blasted d20
I have recently been on an OSR D&D kick recently, and it has come to my attention that the system is basically a d6 engine. Consistent through several elder editions: Ability scores are generated via rolling 3d6. Starting gold is calculated via rolling 3d6. Reaction rolls are determined via rolling 2d6. Morale rolls are determined via rolling 2d6. Surprise is determined via rolling 1d6. Initiative is determined via rolling 1d6. Forcing open and listening at doors are determin
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May 37 min read
Dungeon World's "16 HP Dragon" Is Cope
The 16 HP Dragon from Dungeon World 1e is pure cope and the system doesn't support dangerous encounters.
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Mar 305 min read
Reddit RPG Roundup #1
Grab you d27 and get ready to roll on critical hit table XIV as we talk about our experiences with Dungeon Crawl Classics!
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Mar 231 min read
Dungeons, Dungeon Crawls, and Dungeon Crawl Classics
Grab you d27 and get ready to roll on critical hit table XIV as we talk about our experiences with Dungeon Crawl Classics!
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Jan 121 min read
Humans & Hit Dice
What ARE Hit Dice, anyway? I'll discuss how they function and my take on humanoids with Hit Dice.
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Dec 26, 20252 min read
Armor Class vs. Armor Classes
It is an inevitability that people needlessly demand expansions to the rules of a game for no good reason. They desire options and demand choice regardless of the (usually negative) impact on the rest of the system. Armor Class in D&D is one such arena where being spoiled for choice worsens the game. Today, we're all familiar with the bloated list of armor types and options available to players: padded, leather, studded leather, spiked armor, scale mail, halfplate, full plate
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Dec 23, 20253 min read
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