Questions tagged [designer-reasons]
Use this tag when a statement about the designers' reasons is desired. Showing the designers' reasons require statements from the designers themselves.
85
questions
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is the origin of the Deck of Many Things?
The Deck of Many Things has appeared in every edition of D&D so far, and while the exacting particulars have varied, the overall feel of the deck has remained consistent: the rules for how to draw ...
- 1,882
10
votes
3
answers
982
views
Reading the forcecage spell
Below is the text of the forcecage spell. I've numbered the paragraphs for reference. I've used or been in games with this spell many times, and I just noticed something. I can't believe I've never ...
- 36.4k
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why do Elves, who can see in starlight, have a lifepath called Chandler (candle-maker)?
BWGR p. 131:
Chandler, 50 yrs, 15 rp, +1 M, (Citadel, Protector)
Skills: 5 pts: Chant of Offering‡, Haggling, Conspicuous, Appraisal
Traits: 1 pt: —
Wikipedia:
A chandlery (/ˈtʃændləri/ or /ˈtʃɑːnd-...
- 4,413
13
votes
4
answers
3k
views
In Princes of the Apocalypse, is this monster “supposed to” kill a player character?
In Princes of the Apocalypse Ch. 6,
has plenty of time and warning to prepare for his encounter with the party, along with the spells to do so:
He is also in possession of a powerful magic item,
...
- 4,054
5
votes
1
answer
365
views
In Fallout: The Roleplaying Game (2d20 system by Modiphius), is it intended that gun bashing with a missile launcher would have the blast quality?
I have noticed that gun bash simply states a one-handed gun or a two-handed gun, so there seems no reason you could not gun bash with a big gun (which are all two-handed guns). The part where it gets ...
- 3,075
2
votes
0
answers
282
views
Is there a statement from Gygax on the origin of the Unseen Servant spell?
Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions is is cited in Appendix N of the original Dungeon Master's Guide as one of the inspirations for D&D, and is an influential source that contributed to ...
- 129k
-7
votes
2
answers
489
views
Why do 6 ft. weapons not have the Reach property? [closed]
There are several weapons in D&D 5e that are at least six feet:
Quarterstaff
Spear
Battleaxe
Greataxe
Greatsword
Trident
Warhammer
Yet these weapons(although there may be some incorrect ones in ...
- 2,720
6
votes
1
answer
504
views
Why wasn't Rolemaster further developed and expanded?
Rolemaster is a great system and big in its day - but is now to be consigned to online pdfs, a small fan base (like me) and in particular never developed for a (very) long time.
Iron Crown Enterprises ...
user81856
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Should Tiamat's cold breath target the ability score indicated in its save?
The party is looking at facing Tiamat as the 20th-level epic boss fight that will end the campaign. The evoker has only four spell slots that can directly affect her, due to her limited magic ...
- 54.5k
1
vote
1
answer
305
views
What is the origin of Pharasma's name in Pathfinder?
Many names in Pathfinder come from Earth languages or refer to things. Where does the name Pharasma come from?
The only similar name I could find is Pharasmanes, the Latinized Georgian name of two ...
- 121
26
votes
0
answers
770
views
What is the source of the persistent rumor that D&D 3.5's Orb spells were written to provide an advantage in the writer's home game?
D&D 3.5's Complete Arcane introduced the Orb of Fire/Acid/Whatever line of spells. They are conjuration spells (normally you might expect them to be evocation), they do a reasonably large pile of ...
- 14k
18
votes
2
answers
951
views
What is the origin of the name Yan-C-Bin?
I'm planning a story arc for my D&D campaign that will heavily involve the elemental plane of air, with Yan-C-Bin being the BBEG at the end.
The name Yan-C-Bin is very strange, and I'm wondering ...
- 4,355
15
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Why was damage denoted in ranges in older D&D editions?
In early editions of Dungeons and Dragons, monster damage was denoted as a range of possible outcomes, for example, if a monster dealt 3d6 of damage, it would state the monster dealt 3-18 damage. You ...
- 129k
5
votes
2
answers
652
views
Why is the capacity of a barrel/bucket different for solids vs. liquids?
The PHB states the following volumes on page 153:
Barrel:
40 gallons liquid, 4 cubic feet solid.
Bucket:
3 gallons liquid, 0.5 cubic feet solid.
Why is the volume for solids lower than that for ...
- 2,581
9
votes
1
answer
709
views
Why did 'Let it out' change so much from Urban Shadows 1e to 2e?
In my Urban Shadows 2e quickstart the basic move 'Let it out' reads:
LET IT OUT
When you let out the power within you, choose an ability from your playbook and roll with Spirit. On a hit, mark ...
- 13.7k