Tag Archives: Steve Winter

Why Fourth Edition Never Saved Dungeons & Dragons

Posted on June 12, 2018 by David Hartlage

“Fourth edition Dungeons & Dragons is all about taking that things that work in D&D, keeping them in the game, and fixing everything else,” designer Mike Mearls wrote after the edition’s announcement in 2007. “That’s the goal, and I think … Continue reading →

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Are the Authors of the Dungeon & Dragons Hardcover Adventures Blind to the Plight of DMs?

Posted on March 20, 2018 by David Hartlage

Adventure paths reveal their linear design in the name: They follow a path. In a linear adventure every play group follows the same plot thread, through the same scenes, to the same conclusion. For adventure creators, linear adventures bring advantages. … Continue reading →

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The Dungeons & Dragons Books that Secretly Previewed Each New Edition

Posted on June 13, 2017 by David Hartlage

Dungeons & Dragons players have seen five editions plus a few versions that fall outside the count. We tend to see the release of a new Player’s Handbook as a clean break from the last, but each new edition received … Continue reading →

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If you want to write games for everyone, game with everyone

Posted on October 4, 2016 by David Hartlage

In the 80s into the 90s, I would see convention panels or magazine interviews where game professionals said that their game writing left them no time for game playing. Those writers might admit to an occasional session of Call of … Continue reading →

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5 role-playing products that shaped how I play Dungeons & Dragons 1978-2000

Posted on February 29, 2016 by David Hartlage

Tomb of Horrors (1978) In the early days, I enjoyed plenty of time to create my own adventures, so I had little interest in playing the published ones. But I still drew inspiration from them. Nothing inspired like Tomb of … Continue reading →

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Why second-edition Dungeons & Dragons dropped thieves and assassins

Posted on February 12, 2014 by David Hartlage

I have only run an evil-themed D&D campaign once, and only because Wizards of the Coast cornered me. They released the Drow Treachery cards and the Menzoberranzan campaign book and promoted the products with the Council of Spiders season of … Continue reading →

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Proficiency and bounded accuracy in D&D Next

Posted on January 23, 2014 by David Hartlage

In my last post, I wrote about how the Dungeons & Dragons Next proficiency bonus jams all the tables and rules for attack bonuses and saving throw bonuses and check bonuses into a single rising bonus. This consolidation yields a … Continue reading →

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From the brown books to next, D&D tries for elegance

Posted on January 10, 2014 by David Hartlage

An elegant role-playing game gains maximum play value out of a concise set of simple rules. Elegant rules… apply broadly so fewer rules can cover whatever happens in the game. play quickly with minimal math and little need to reference … Continue reading →

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Gotcha traps

Posted on November 19, 2013 by David Hartlage

Longtime Dungeons & Dragons designer Steve Winter puts traps into four categories. While I like the ideas inspired by his story traps and back traps, I focus trap design on two categories. Gotcha traps are the traps thieves can find … Continue reading →

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