Tag Archives: Wizards of the Coast

10 Things in Pathfinder Second Edition I Like (and 1 I Don’t)

Posted on September 3, 2019 by David Hartlage

In 2008, Paizo sent designer Jason Buhlman to the Winter Fantasy convention to sample the upcoming fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons and report on the game. Paizo founder Lisa Stevens recalls the outcome. “From the moment that 4th Edition … Continue reading →

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19 Adventures in the Running for 10 Greatest Adventures Since 1985

Posted on July 2, 2019 by David Hartlage

For my list of the 10 greatest adventures since 1985, nominations, reviews, and reputation led me to consider many more excellent adventures than fit a list of 10. Today’s post reveals the adventures that fell short of my 10 greatest, … Continue reading →

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Vault of the Dracolich (2013): Greatest D&D Adventures Since 1985—Number 7

Posted on June 4, 2019 by David Hartlage

Vault of the Dracolich is a D&D Next adventure By Mike Shea, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, and Teos Abadia for level 4 characters. The Living Greyhawk organized-play campaign pioneered a popular new way to play Dungeons & Dragons at conventions. In … Continue reading →

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In 1981 a Troll Named Grimtooth Set a Path for Today’s D&D Books

Posted on April 30, 2019 by David Hartlage

Starting in 1981, Flying Buffalo Games published a series of Grimtooth’s Traps books. They featured diagrams of traps that showed heroes on the verge of being folded, spindled, and mutilated. For instance, one sample shows a covered pit trap where … Continue reading →

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The Unintended Consequence That Ruined Fourth Edition D&D’s Chance of Success, But Proved Great for Gamers

Posted on July 3, 2018 by David Hartlage

Publicly, members of Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons team never discuss sales numbers. Privately, they dispute the notion that the Pathfinder role-playing game ever outsold fourth-edition D&D. But at Gen Con, late in the short life of fourth … Continue reading →

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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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Why Fourth Edition Seemed Like the Savior Dungeons & Dragons Needed

Posted on June 5, 2018 by David Hartlage

In 2005, Dungeons & Dragons faced a possible future similar to the fate of another popular role-playing game, Vampire: The Masquerade. In this future, D&D only exists as a license for online games and t-shirts and another potential movie. The … Continue reading →

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The Threat that Nearly Killed Dungeons & Dragons—Twice

Posted on May 29, 2018 by David Hartlage

Despite the alarmists warning that things like ascending armor classes, women, or fourth edition would ruin Dungeons & Dragons, the game has only faced one serious threat. Ascending ACs are just easier, woman have been improving the game at least … Continue reading →

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Basic and Advanced—Why Gary Gygax claimed Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was a different game (Part 6)

Posted on January 9, 2017 by David Hartlage

The Story of Basic and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Part 1: The time Dungeons & Dragons split into two games Part 2: Dungeons & Dragons’ new audience versus its original rules Part 3: Dungeon & Dragons goes two directions Part … Continue reading →

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How the end of lonely fun leads to today’s trickle of D&D books

Posted on August 31, 2016 by David Hartlage

Role-playing gaming must rate as the cheapest entertainment around. Even if a game master buys an adventure to run, five other people get hours of fun from the purchase. And those hours come from a slim packet of pages. A … Continue reading →

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