•7 min read
The Roleplaying Origins of Early Dungeons and Dragons
Classic modules show early editions centered on negotiation and player ingenuity, contrasting with later skill-driven, performative approaches.
Posts tagged with “Analysis”
•5 min read
Simplifying Runequest's Critical System
Proposes a universal 10s/5s critical scheme for Chaosium percentile games to speed resolution, add special failures, and reduce sheet-checking.
•4 min read
Yes, if ... the true secret of crafting adventures
Rather than quick yes/no rulings, challenge players with conditional goals that turn edge cases into quests, deepening stakes and shared world.
•4 min read
Unlocking the Magic of TTRPG Design
Applying Sanderson’s principles to tabletop RPGs, this argues for limits, costs, and risk over power creep, using subsystem interplay to enrich play.
•4 min read
The Statistical Mirage of Advantage in D&D 5th Edition
Advantage skews outcomes toward the mean, boosts easy checks more than hard ones, and its non-stacking design blunts creative tactics and tension.
•6 min read
Decoding D&D - The Enigma of Armor Class
Explains AC as an abstract defense working with HP to pace damage over time, guiding narration and design without literal blow-by-blow realism.
•5 min read
Decoding D&D - What the heck are Hit Points Anyway?
HP in D&D are an abstract tool shaped by the DM to set tone and stakes, not literal wounds, evolving across editions to serve fun.
•3 min read
Origins of the Astral and Ethereal Planes in D&D
Explores how counterculture, pop icons, and early design split ghosts and psionics into two transitive realms, and how 5e streamlines that legacy.
•3 min read
The Return of the Write Spell - A Nostalgic Callback or Unnecessary Complexity?
Playtest adds Scribe Spell to handle wizard scribing, a throwback to Write, but the author argues it adds fiddly complexity without real payoff.
•3 min read
The WoTC Errata, Long Past Due
The latest D&D 5E errata drops racial alignment, inviting more inclusive, nuanced characters and worlds shaped by players and DMs.