Play By The Rules: Veteran Warhorse

In an earlier post, Chase commented on the lamentable lack of options for mounted characters in 4E Dungeons & Dragons.  As the DM running the adventure that his mounted character was a part of, I heartily agreed.  Prior to the game, he petitioned me for a mount that reflected his character’s training and expertise; “Can’t I get something…

Get Off My Foot: A Fix for Overlapping Skills in D&D 4E

I didn’t realize this until reading a review of Tomb of Horrors, but a problem I’ve had with D&D 4E (and, to a lesser extent, 3.5E) is “overlapping skills.” In other words–the phenomenon of two or more characters both trained in the same skill who get in each others’ way during skill checks. This was…

Play By The Rules: Random Character Benefit Generator

Guided by a firm belief that the books are just the beginning, we here at Intwischa are pleased to present “Play By The Rules”, an ongoing series that will provide custom mechanics for your favorite RPGs!  These posts will strive to give players and storytellers alike original, creative, game-ready ways to add spice and texture…

Playing your Character: What’s my name again?

My name is Charlie. I’m a mechanoholic. It’s true. My disease compels me to pursue the best mechanical benefit in any situation, regardless of whether my character would actually do the thing or not. I can resist mechanics-driven impulses when playing games like FATE or old-school D&D knockoffs, but when I start playing 4E, all fiddly…

Rage Against the System

For a RPG geek, there’s an undefinable allure to game systems.  There’s just something about understanding the rules, how the mechanics fit together, and the consequences they have upon play. As Charlie has mentioned, however, there’s no silver bullet.  He has written about how FATE is great for story, but not so effective for detailed…

Play by the Rules: Random Character Flaw Generator

Guided by a firm belief that the books are just the beginning, we here at Intwischa are pleased to present “Play By The Rules”, an ongoing series that will provide custom mechanics for your favorite RPGs!  These posts will strive to give players and storytellers alike original, creative, game-ready ways to add spice and texture…

Play By The Rules: Caste System Background Benefits

Guided by a firm belief that the books are just the beginning, we here at Intwischa are pleased to present “Play By The Rules”, an ongoing series that will provide custom mechanics for your favorite RPGs!  These posts will strive to give players and storytellers alike original, creative, game-ready ways to add spice and texture…