Category Archives: House Rules

Skill Challenges (or, They Wasted a Perfectly Good Mechanic)

Posted on 7 January, 2013 by MssngrDeath

One thing I was excited about in 4th Edition was skill challenges. I think they’re a great idea. I think they’re such a great idea that I can’t help but notice that every DM in every campaign I’ve seen has … Continue reading →

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Session Zero

Posted on 3 November, 2012 by MssngrDeath

I think the hardest part of anything is the ending, but the second hardest part is the beginning. The first episode of a TV show, the first chapter of a book, and the first issue of a comic are what’s … Continue reading →

Posted in DMing, House Rules | 1 Comment

Weapon With Powers (Part 2)

Posted on 21 September, 2012 by MssngrDeath

I’ve added a few new weapons to the list. I think I’m going to end up in Eastern weapons next, though I’m running out of status ailments. Maybe I need to make a weapon like in Rurouni Kenshin, where it … Continue reading →

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DM Wrath List

Posted on 28 August, 2012 by MssngrDeath

I’ve received a startling number of requests for this. There are some actions a player can take during a D&D session that cause me to roll on a DM Wrath list. Most often, I roll because a player (or DM) … Continue reading →

Posted in DMing, House Rules | 4 Comments

Weapons with Powers (Part 1)

Posted on 14 August, 2012 by MssngrDeath

I have a lot of problems with 4th Edition (in fact, I have a list of topics I’d like to address eventually), and one is the change in weapon tiers. 3rd Edition had “exotic” weapons, for weapons that required a … Continue reading →

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Save or Die

Posted on 2 February, 2012 by MssngrDeath

A million years ago in my post on Law #0, I mentioned before that I don’t like save-or-die effects. In case you’re on dial-up and can only load one page per hour (thanks for picking this one, by the way), … Continue reading →

Posted in DMing, House Rules | 1 Comment

Secondary Skills

Posted on 16 January, 2012 by MssngrDeath

I have plenty of complaints about the skill system in 4th, but the thing I missed the most is the skills that fell by the wayside. I understand rolling skills like Listen, Spot, and Search into Perception, and I don’t … Continue reading →

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House Rule: Three-Axis Alignment

Posted on 28 July, 2011 by MssngrDeath

I feel the need to defend the D&D alignment system. I get the feeling it’s one of the most oft-derided parts of character creation, and in fact the general functioning of the system. I think most people see it as … Continue reading →

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