Knights & Knaves Alehouse

While I realize that in OD&D things were meant to be brutal, potentially immediately lethal and mortality was expected to be high, do I read magic swords right in the section covering their creation in M&T? Are all magic swords to have an intelligence, an alignment, and potential special abilities? ...

Other than Yamara being a sort of fantasy comic strip of questionable humor that appeared in Dragon magazine for a few years (and may still for all I know) what is the connection between the two?

Ultimately its come down to "screw what the rules say" regardless of what is written, even though EGG was emphatic when he wrote the DMG that we should understand the rules first before we seek to amend them . EGG has shovelled the last scoop of dirt over the AD&D grave. To resurrect the game at th...

Just to let you guys know, as a "mental break" from doing the Yggsburgh work (periodically) I'm keying in all of the monsters that do "different" surprise and what possible effect that can have, as well as creating a simple spreadsheet showing the basic Surprise die rolls in chart form. Sound good? ...

Just to throw in my two un-named coins of alien metal from yuggoth, I was lucky enough to find - for about $7 each - the omnibus Lovecraft Arkham House books at my FLUBS and they are amazing. I sold all my dreadful old del Rey pulps back to the bookstore and have forever more enjoyed At The Mountain...

Okay, just thought of another question: when a character has a DEX that merits a Reaction bonus (+1, +2 or +3) how many segments does that character get to act until everyone else is no longer surprised? I know the Reaction Bonus indicates that time but what bonuses apply when? I'm guessing that if ...

Okay, next question: is it possible to show a simple mathematical progression with each scenario as it escalates?

If it is, all one needs is a list of the exceptions and the excel sheet I worked up today to show how "basic" surprise works.

These charts are super-helpful, all. I wonder if it would be possible to create a single one, that covers all or nearly all contingencies? Such a chart would be quite exaustive to create, and IMO its unnecessary. It'd have to cover every posssible surprise variable that can come into play (i.e., 1,...

These charts are super-helpful, all. I wonder if it would be possible to create a single one, that covers all or nearly all contingencies? Or add enough plain-english footnotes at the end of John Stark's excellent charts* to cover the rest of those contingencies...like I tried to do with mine. *"Joh...

Here's a chart that hopefully will lay it out for you DD. The only thing is, this chart isn't comprehensive beyond basic, simple surprise (i.e., surprise with no modifiers). What I mean is that there are exceptions that have to be taken into account depending upon dex, class, monster, situation as ...

Okay, last request before bedtime because my brain hurts right now. To my original request: is it possible - apparently not by me, but is it possible - to create a simple chart, a matrix, that shows every die roll combination and WHO is surprised and for HOW LONG? Yes, I know mine was broken. I don'...

This thread has (for me) moebius looped back to the beginning: I now understand surprise less than I did before.

Study this paragraph carefully and the following chart, as this resolves NORMAL surprise chances (i.e., with no modifiers or special situations): DMG pg 61-62: Assume the party of characters comes upon a monster. They have 2 of 6 chances to surprise, and the monster also has 2 in 6. A six-sided die...

Okay, BY THE BOOK it says "Monster's Die - 5 or 6" "Party's Die - 1 or 2" "Result - Party Surprised". The difference between the monster's die (a 6) and the party's die (a 1) is five. I don't see how that isn't right. The party is surprised, but only for 1 segment, since a 1 was rolled. You don't s...

Okay, I think I have something ready to be looked at, gang. Try this: CHART A: DIE ROLL, MONSTER DIE ROLL, PARTY WHO'S SURPRISED? 6 1 PARTY (5) So. How badly did I screw up? I hope that (5) doesn't mean you think the party is surprised for five segments. If so, we've got a lot more explaining to do...