Ages ago, I had an idea. I was discussing the best use of marketing hoopla and I wanted to come up with an amazingly bizzare game concept to use as an example. What I came up with was Tiny Tinkourers, Victorian gnomish steam-driven battle-suit arena gladiatorial combat! The publisher to whom I was talking at the time (Chris Hill of OKG - They have some really neat stuff) ...

What's the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don't be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Death-proofed PCs Everything I’d heard about Fourth Edition D&D was how hard it was to kill first-level characters — they’re resilient, they’re loaded with offensive capabilities and they’ve got a batch of hit points. ...

With D&D going more and more to static numbers for saves and defense, especially in the Fourth Edition of the rules, I know I’m swimming upstream with this suggestion for Third Edition DMs. All the same, here it is: I think defenders should roll for their Armor Class, and thus, oppose the roll made by the attacker. After all, the use of opposed rolls is a key component ...

What's the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don't be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Hip to be squares Flip Mat brand footmaps are cool. And they work with permanent and dry-erase markers (kinda ... there’s a trick to removing the permanent markings) . They’re re-useable, and come in ...

The players have gathered at their table for their first session in a new adventure. Each player has rolled up a new character, then shared their creation with the others in a quick once-around the table. A grim realization dawns.  “Oh noooooooooo! We don’t have a cleric! We’re all gonna die!” And the DM smiles ... and it’s an evil smile. Play on Must every party have a cleric, ...

In Boss Around the Gnomes, I asked Gnome Stew readers what you'd like to hear about the 4e core books from a GM's perspective. I wrote a lengthy, detailed post about my first impressions, and now I'm ready to tackle the specifics. Rather than C&P large chunks of my other post, if a question was substantially covered in my review I just pointed thataway for a few answers. It ...

With D&D 4th Edition launching today, there'll be lots of places where you can read general reviews and discussion about the nitty-gritty of the rules, but I have a hunch that there won't be many sites other than Gnome Stew talking about the three core books -- Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual -- specifically from a GMing perspective. That doesn't mean that there's nothing here for ...

It’s inevitable. DM long enough, and kids will crop up in your adventure. They’ll either need to be rescued from a trap or a villain, one decides to tag along for protection or curiosity, or like Sherlock Holmes’ Baker Street Boys, you’ll come to rely upon a gang of them to run errands and gather information. So it’s a good idea to have some standard children rolled up. ...

What's the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don't be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Gnome-je vu Why all the 4E fuss? I’ll tell you why.  Gnomes are in the Third Edition Monster Manual, too. And they have a lair (“Gnomes make their homes in hilly, woodland lands. They ...

So, your party is traveling through the woods or across that fantasy city, and you roll for a random encounter (‘cause, as a DM, that’s what we do, right?) You register the die roll result and refer to ye ol’ wandering monster chart. And instead of giving you a monster you can run right out of the Monster Manual, you see something like this: 3d6 bandits (Rangers level ...

What's the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don't be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Leggo my Legos I’m installing laminate flooring in the front room of my house. It’s this stuff that looks like hardwood, but isn’t, so it’s cheaper. Anyway, the laminate boards are about four ...

It seems Hamlet had a less vexing decision than the one that seemingly faces many DMs of Dungeons and Dragons. Namely, do I switch to the new fourth edition of the game, or stick with the version I’m playing? I think it’s fair many factors will go into your thinking. Here’s what I’m weighing, right now. Cost The biggie. At $104.95 msrp for the three core rulebooks, this ...

When D&D 4th Edition launches on June 6th, many GMs will be making a tough decision: to 4e or not to 4e. Several of us gnomes have already made that choice, though, and will be snagging all three core books either on or shortly after launch day. We'll be rubbing our grubby little gnome-paws all over them anyway, and we'd love to write about all three core books from ...

It's been a long time since I've run a game of Feng Shui, but with my Savage Tide campaign wrapping up soon, I'm finding myself a little tired of D&D 3.5's rules heavy environment. The Feng Shui rulebook is refreshing, very well written and easy on the rules. However, there's one thing I absolutely cannot stand about it: the setting. In a nutshell, Feng Shui's setting is an excuse ...

What's the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don't be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Wisdom score, check I went in for my annual eye examination, and Doctor Mike told me that my vision had improved. “That sometimes happens when you get older,” he said. Really? I ...