A large problem many groups have with 4E D&D is that 4E combat takes a very long time. Various methods have been proposed to fix this, such as reducing monster hp, but after some discussion we realised the best way of doing it is simply to revive the Morale system, used in 1^st and 2^nd Edition, but thrown out in 3^rd. The problem with these systems is, like the whole editions themselves, they were overly complicated; I’ve seen an attempt at adding Morale to 4E that mostly just put the 2^nd Ed system in… and it looked terrible. So, we decided to do it from the ground up: a complete, effective, and simple Morale system for 4E D&D.

Continue reading Speeding up D&D 4E Combat: Morale

Not so long ago, the 4^th Edition DMGII came out. With the general high quality of 4E splatbooks so far, this looked promising: but for those out there for whom “promising” isn’t enough, this in-depth review should give you everything you need to know about the book, helping with the critical decision of whether or not to actually go out and buy it.

Continue reading 4E Dungeon Master’s Guide 2: In-Depth Review

It’s reasonably well known that Fighters and Monks are the weakest classes in 3.5 D&D. Whilst this can be partially be fixed by extending to non-Core books, this doesn’t actually solve the problem, and for some, that simply isn’t an option, either due to DM restrictions or just unavailability of the books. However, it actually is possible to make decent Fighters and Monks in Core 3.5: you just have to be a little clever about it.

This article will start with stuff common to both Fighters and Monks (there’s a lot), and then splits off into separate parts. Some of the ideas in this article may be interesting for other characters, like Barbarians and Paladins.

Continue reading Powergaming: Making a Powerful Fighter or Monk in Core 3.5 D&D

Area of Effect powers, or AoE, are pretty common in 4^th Edition D&D. No longer are they limited to Wizards, but can be found in the arsenal of many non-spellcasters, such as Fighters, as well as being used by many monsters. It’s thus pretty important to a understand them… and once you have that, how to use Area of Effect powers in the most optimal way possible.

Continue reading Powergaming: Understanding Area of Effect in D&D4E

Wizards, apart from being arguably the most powerful character class in 3.5 D&D, have the neat ability to choose to specialize in a specific school of magic, just in case nigh-unlimited power wasn’t enough, in exchange for dumping the ability to use other schools. But what is the best school to specialize in? What schools do you dump? Is it really actually a good idea?

Continue reading Powergaming: Choosing a Wizard School Specialization

In 4E D&D, choosing your Powers is a critical part of your character. Especially since you get so few, it is essential that you choose Powers that won’t let you down. So, how do we decide which Powers to select?

Continue reading Powergaming: Choosing the best powers for your character

In this first proper article on Powergaming (read the intro here), we will look at a 3.5 Skill, Use Magic Device. This Skill is oft neglected by many players, both new and old alike, who do not understand the potential it has.

Continue reading Powergaming: Use Magic Device

Today we begin the first of a series of (hopefully weekly…) articles discussing various powergaming strategies in D&D, both 3.5 and 4E. But what do we really mean by powergaming? How can we discuss details without understanding it? Well, that’s where this article starts. What is it? Is it good or bad? How far do you go?

Continue reading D&D Powergaming: Introduction

I was a bit apprehensive going into this review, because, whilst the 4E splat books have been pretty darn good so far, some of the 3.0 and 3.5 Monster Manuals were… um… not that great. Fortunately, as you will see, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Some monsters which might have been nice in the MM1 appear in this book, like Metallic Dragons and the Rust Monster. There are also some real classic classic monsters, from 1^st and 2^nd Edition, which kinda dropped off the radar in 3^rd Edition.

Continue reading 4E Monster Manual 2 In-Depth Review and Analysis

Latest news reports that the upcoming Real Time Stategy Game Starcraft II won’t have LAN support. Basically, you’ll have to play it over Battle.net, Blizzard’s online gaming system. Article on Gamespot.

An interesting move, to be sure. Now, there are a couple of reasons for this, they claim.

Continue reading Starcraft II: No LAN support. Huh. Implications?