The Fighter Class, Part Six
I’m mostly over my cold, even if the rest of my family is still under the weather. Today, I’m pressing on toward the samurai classes of 3.x, found in 3.0’s Oriental Adventures and 3.5’s Complete Warrior. I’ll probably work in ...
The Fighter Class, Part Five
It hardly seems like it could have been a month since my last History of the Fighter article, but it was; ring out the bells for its return. I always wonder which edition the greatest number of people started on, ...
Hit Points, Dying, and Death
Quite some time back, the estimable Tim Baker sent me this:
I had an idea for a topic or maybe even a series that you could consider covering in the future. I'd love to hear your take on damage, dying, and ...
The Monk Class, Part Eight
At a reader’s request, I’m going back to the 3.0 Oriental Adventures and covering the monk prestige classes found there. In this series’ broader conversation on monks, this and the 1e Oriental Adventures are our only examples of settings that ...
The Monk Class, Part Seven
At the request of a reader, this article in the History of the Monk offers an overview of the monk-friendly prestige classes of 3.x D&D. In the interest of keeping this manageable, I’m really only addressing 3.5; just about everything ...
The Monk Class, Part Four
After a hiatus of more than two months, welcome back to the History of the Monk Class. Last time, I covered 2e, which has an awkward and widely varied approach to the class. I think that for a lot of ...
Domain Rulership, Part Eight
Last time in the Domain Rulership series, I talked about some of the relatively rules-light approaches to domain and stronghold play, in the form of 13th Age and Dungeon World. Now I’m turning back toward more involved systems: Fields of ...
Domain Rulership, Part Six
Two weeks ago, I talked about the Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook, the “main” 3.x-based book for stronghold construction and domains. I also mentioned a third-party product, A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe, by Expeditious Retreat Press. In the comments, alert reader ...
Domain Rulership, Part Five
Last time in the Domain Management series, we discussed my personal high-water mark for domain-level rules, known in the tongues of gods and men as the Birthright Campaign Setting. We continue therefore to Third Edition. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has ...
The Rogue Class, Part Four
At last we come to the watershed moment of the Thief’s Rogue’s development, and I don’t just mean the name change. Up to this point, thieves have a role in combat, but that role is “mostly try to stay away, ...