While “save-or-die” isn’t really what we’re talking about here, it sure makes for a catchy buzzword. But instead of that, we’ll be looking more generally at the evolution of the saving throw in general – from its humble and confusing beginnings to the modern day.
Also get the d20’s ready. When I say the old system is confusing, I mean like in the confusion spell. Hope you’ve got a good Wisdom save bonus.
Just as a note, it may take a year but by god do I follow up on my stupid title jokes.
In the past, I created a shadow magic wizard that focused on using quasi-real shadow illusions to fake evocation and conjuration spells. I did a couple revisions and planned on coming back to it, but ultimately I think its dead.
But the question remains… why? So today I’ll be taking a look at why shadow magic didn’t work, why it exists in the first place, and why it inherently doesn’t fit in modern Dungeons and Dragons.
Back in ye olden days, when clerics were clerics, wizards were magic-users, and fighters were fighting-men, there were plenty of weird things in the game. However, where you can normally brush aside such bizarre ideas as mere twisted memories of fever dreams of days gone by, these are things that I, unfortunately, have physical evidence for.
Today we’re going to talk about druids and how you had to literally kill (or at least defeat) a druid of a level higher than you in order to advance in level past 11th level.
Yes, it was weird. Very weird.
Continue reading “Advanced Editions – There Can Be Only One (Druid)”
In this series of posts, my goal is to look at all the little things from earlier editions that just didn’t quite make the cut for 5th Edition. Some were excluded for good reason, while others just didn’t quite fit in – but besides just talking about them, I’ll also be doing what I can to port them over.
For our first topic, we have the ever-terrifying Level Drain (also called Energy Drain). This is what made undead scary back in the day, alright? This made them so horribly scary.
Continue reading “Advanced Editions – A Draining Discussion”
Truth, righteousness, honor… all are most definitely words. If you’re a paladin, they may or may not be the only words you actually know.
Is it a good idea to have a self-avowed rogue write a post about paladins? Sure! I promise I’ll be (mostly) fair and even-handed. After all, who better to hang out with than the Paladin?
Pretty much anyone, actually.
Remember, if it doesn’t have the words “justice” or “glory” it’s probably a fighter feature!
So… druids. I’ve talked about them before, and something about that has stuck with me ever since. More specifically, it’s about the Circle of the Land.
This time, though, I have a solution.
Join me as we once again delve the deep forests…
Since I started my series of articles on the various classes , I’ve wanted to go back and redo some to get a bit more mechanical. However I think the posts serve a purpose as they are now simply because they don’t get too mechanical.
Which is why I’m starting a new series that can get too mechanical!
Who needs weapons? Shut up Kensai, no one was talking to you.
Anyway… who needs weapons? Or armor, for that matter? When it comes to combat, all that really matters is skill, focus, and discipline – all particular specialties of the Monk!
So grab all that crap from the fighter article and throw it away!
Hoo boy, here it is. The day I’ve been dreading since I started this series – and the day that comes as a result of way too much time compared to the others in the series. Today, it’s time to talk about the Fighter.
Grab your swords, axes, maces, longbows, shortbows, crossbows, lances, pikes, halberds, glaives, whips…
Many times, we tend to focus on the players and their characters. But they’re only half of the equation, and every hero needs a good antagonist. Whether or not a goblin really counts as an antagonist and not just a semi-sentient EXP sack is still unclear, but the point stands.
So today, lets talk monsters. Get out your Monster Manuals and Volo’s Guides to Monsters and (for you time-travelers out there) your Modenkainen’s Tomes of Foes for good measure. Can I maybe have one of those, by the way? I won’t spoil it, promise.
Now look under the bed, and get ready to give in to the nightmares…