"Dear JB" Mailbag #28

Huh. An actual "Dear JB" letter (via email), rather than something snagged from Reddit. Here you go, man...

Dear JB:

I have been reading the core AD&D books and some classic AD&D modules in hopes of running the game for my group. I noticed that, unlike B/X modules, AD&D modules omit morale entirely from stat blocks. This is something that persists into modern day modules, for example Guy Fullerton's modules. Why isn't having morale in statblocks standard in AD&D? 

Sincerely, 

Mystified About Morale

Dear Mystified:

Morale, as a game concept/mechanic has been around long before D&D...in fact, while it is made mention of in OD&D (see page 13 of Volume I, Men & Magic) no specific mechanics are provided. Instead, readers are referred back to Chainmail, the foundational wargame that provided a "jumping off point" for D&D...although the text (as is often the case with OD&D) is far from explicit.

Morale in Basic D&D, especially B/X (an edition which is...essentially..."streamlined OD&D"), is based off the Chainmail model. Chainmail was a d6 based rule system...all game mechanics in Chainmail are resolved with the use of six-sided dice, and morale...an essential part of wargaming...is no different. Specific units are provided with a target number (requiring a 2d6 roll), but the thresholds for requiring a morale check varies by troop type. "Elite heavy foot," for example, need only roll a 6+ (on 2d6)...and, then, only if sustaining more than 1/3 casualties (either in missile or melee combat). Peasant levies, on the other hand, need to roll an 8+ and are required to check morale at only 25% casualties...they panic more quickly and are easier to break.

All the various fantasy troop types listed in Chainmail have a "morale" rating listed: from the "5" of orcs and goblins, to the "10" of wraiths and wizards. These form the basis of the morale ratings in Basic editions of D&D (like B/X and BECMI and their derivative OSR retro-clones).

AD&D is a little different. Unlike the Basic editions of D&D, AD&D is not designed to introduce basic concepts of dungeon delving and skirmish-level wargaming to the new player. Instead, AD&D is a robust system designed for maximum playability, versatility, and verisimilitude while still maintaining the parameters of play. This leads it to having some more "fiddly" game mechanics, in comparison to the cut-&-dry systems found in B/X.

Still, morale is a large part of a game that places combat as a premium feature of the system. Rather than assign morale based on monster type (as does B/X), monster morale in AD&D is based on hit dice: 50% + 5% per HD over 1 and +1% per hit point adjustment. Thus an ogre (HD 4+1) would have a base morale score of 66% in AD&D. However, unlike the B/X edition, AD&D morale checks are slightly more subjective (is the enemy faced with "an obviously superior force?") and is adjusted by many more modifiers (friends killed or deserting versus enemies slain/routed, for example).

All these numbers are outlined on page 67 of the DMG. 

I'd speculate that the reason there are no morale ratings listed in the "stat blocks" of AD&D modules has something to do with allowing the DM to consider all the possible variables carefully, especially given Gygax's stipulations (see page 103 of the DMG) that NPCs should be played by the DM in an "appropriate" fashion (i.e. as based on a particular creature's intelligence, bravery, or lack thereof). The absence of morale scores in stat blocks doesn't equate to all encounters being "to the death" fights; rather, the DM of an AD&D game is supposed to be thoughtful about how to handle said encounters. 

For me, I tend to only use the morale rules (conveniently re-printed on the last page of the DMG) when dealing with groups of monsters/troops, i.e. when the NUMBER of creatures involved might bolster the amount of courage and "mob mentality" that the group has. For animals or individuals (even a handful of bandits), I tend to make decisions based on actual circumstance and how I feel the NPC in question would respond to the press of battle (based on personality), without rolling the percentile dice every couple rounds. But that's just me, and the mechanics are there, for those who want to use them.

[also, please note that stat blocks in modules serve DMs by giving them one less thing to reference during play...specifically, the Monster Manual. And "morale score" is not part of the the MM description of monsters (unlike the monster write-ups in the B/X bestiary)...thusly, the module author is not losing anything by omitting something that isn't already there]

Hope that's de-mystified things a bit.

Sincerely,

JB

Top 100? Huh.

Sad news today that Pope Francis has passed on. I barely missed out on meeting the Pontiff when I lived in Asuncion (my wife got to), but I did have the opportunity to hear him speak from about 10 feet away. To me, he seemed a good man and a good Pope; I will miss him.

ANYway...I received an email from a blog database company called Feedspot that Ye Old Blog here is one of the "100 best D&D blogs and websites of 2025." Curious about how exactly I got on this list (I certainly didn't throw my name at them), I emailed the company asking for their criteria for their ranking. Here's what they told me:

Feedspot editorial team extensively searched on Google and social media websites to find the best DND Blogs and ranked them based on several factors such as:

1. Blog content quality
2. Blog consistency
3. Age of the Blog
4. Average number of shares on social sites for your
5. Blog Traffic to your Blog and more.

So, there you go. I mean, I had to admit I was pretty curious, especially considering all the posts about volleyball and Reddit bashing I've been writing this year. "Best D&D blogs of 2025?" Hmmm...

Anyway, I came in at #26, which is kind of cool because that's a number that has personal significance to me (though I'm not going to go into my goofy woo-woo New Age stuff at the moment). Alexis is #24 (appropriate...it would have been a sham if I'd ranked ahead of him), and Grognardia came in at #14 (showing the OSR guru still has some juice), while Dyson Logos, mapmaker extraordinaire, sits at #12.

The bulk of the other sites in the Top 25 seem to be the usual slough of BS, 5E money-making schemers, shills, and sycophants. #1 is D&D Beyond (duh). #2 is that Sly Flourish ("Lazy DM") dude. D&D Sage Advice, DND Wizard News, and ENWorld all crack the top 20. Most of these sites feature substantial advertising and hundreds (if not thousands) of followers across multiple platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Which makes it somewhat amusing that I'm even ON this list, as I use none of those things.

I suppose I would care more if I was actively trying to optimize this blog, or if it provided me some sort of financial incentive. I remember being proud of cracking the Top Ten of "old school" D&D blogs, back when Cyclopeatron used to put out his regular lists of the same, but such accolades mean O So Little to the fractured blogging "community" these days. Just continuing to hang around and make regular posts is a testament of sorts...so many blogs and blog authors have given up the keyboard or fallen by the wayside. Are you still writing anything related to the topic of D&D? You probably deserve some sort of medal if you are...and give yourself a trophy if you can come up with any insight that's new, original, or actually useful. 

Anyway.

Working on re-working I3 today. My opinion of the adventure has diminished from when I last wrote that it was "pretty close to right" with its treasure totals. Nah. I'm re-writing it for levels 3rd - 5th and it STILL needs something more in the realm of 200K given the sheer size of the adventure. Also, I hate the Hickmans' propensity for stocking their adventures with normal humans of 4 and 5 hit dice (Thune Dervishes in I3, "gypsies" in I6, etc.). There's this little book I'd like to introduce them to called the "Monster Manual;" it already has an entry for "dervishes" that work perfectly well in the setting. Just...ugh. They were so young when they were writing these modules...it's hard to be too mad at them (we all make boneheaded decisions in our 20s). 

All right, that's enough. It's my daughter's birthday today and she finally woke up (kids are on Spring Break). Have a good week, people.

They sent me this badge. Yay.

Happy Easter!

Best wishes to all. May you all be blessed with a profound feeling of renewal...renewal of health, renewal of purpose, renewal of spirit.

Peace be with you all.

: )

"Dear JB" Mailbag #27

I just realized (yesterday) that I missed the the April A-Z blogging challenge for this year, something I had been considering doing. Ah, well...maybe I'll do my own A to Z thing in June (you can still get 26 days, if you skip Saturdays in place of Sundays). Just an idea.

Oh, also, this blog was listed as #26 on the Best 100 D&D Blogs & Websites in 2025. Which is...odd? For multiple reasons. But...well, that's a subject for another day.

On with the show...

Dear JB:

I'm part of a community group that runs multiple TTRPG games at our FLGS with rotating GMs and systems. One player signs up for every game, but at the table they’re often distracted, rarely engage, and occasionally interrupt with random rule questions. Sometimes they'll take big risks and then get upset when things go poorly. But mostly they just sit there and look at the rule books, or very often, rolls dice loudly when it's not their turn (I guess because he's bored?)

They’re very active on our group Discord, especially when it comes to system discussions and collecting rulesets, so it’s clear they’re passionate — just not always at the table. They're younger, socially awkward, and likely pretty lonely, which might explain why they sign up for everything.

Other GMs have noticed and voiced concern. I imagine this must be a common problem, I am curious what approaches others have taken to similar circumstances? What’s worked for you — or not worked?

How Do You Handle Low-Effort Or Awkward Players In A Public Group Setting

Dear DM:

The question of how to handle players at the table is very similar to the question of how a coach should best handle players on a team. As with a team sport, the Dungeon Master must recognize that every player is a unique individual...however, they must also recognize that there is a "group objective of play" that it is their responsibility to direct; one cannot cater to the needs of a single individual at the expense of the team/group as a whole.

It's an age-old question, and one of the many things a DM/coach will work on over the course of their career, gradually (hopefully) getting better at that balance with time and experience. 

But I get that you're looking for some concrete advice. Here's my two cents:

First off, I'd ignore everything this player...let's call him "Bill" for convenience...I'd ignore everything Bill posts on social media platforms like Discord. Social media in general (and Discord in particular) is its own activity, separate from the activity of gaming. It carries its own "signals" and "posturing," functions by its own rules, and has its own "objectives of play." A person can be the greatest poster on Discord or BlueSky or whatever and be absolutely worthless at the gaming table. The mental muscles needed to troll or do witty repartee or post pix of your collection or make funny memes, etc. are very different.

Do NOT conflate passion on social media with passion for the game. Passion on social media just means the person is passionate about social media.

SO...once we cut that out of the equation, what do we know about Bill? Well, he's "young" and "socially awkward"...both phrases which could mean a LOT of different things. I mean, a dude in their 20s seems "young" to me...but to a DM in their 20s, this could mean a teenage kid. And socially awkward has a broad spectrum of possible definition; do you mean he has problems interacting in a mature fashion? Or that he's shy in general? Or that he makes inappropriate comments around women? Or that he wears a MAGA hat and brings political discussion to the table? Or what?

So, what else? You say he's "often distracted?" How? Is he surfing his phone at the table? Is he constantly checking out the hot customers that come into the store? Is he habitually daydreaming or doodling rather than paying attention? Is he showing up to the able stoned off his ass?  All of these types of "distraction" call for different methods of resolution, so it's hard to give you a specific answer without knowing specifically what's going on.

Finally, you say that Bill rarely engages, occasionally interrupts with rules questions, sometimes takes big risks (getting upset when those risks go poorly), and "mostly just sits there looking at the rule books rolling dice loudly when its not his turn." Okay, great...that is some actionable material to go on.

At my table, we have some "house rules" that I politely (but firmly) enforce. These include:

• no screens at the table during the game (I don't use them either...I print up my material before play)
• all dice rolls are done in the open and in a box top that I use for the purpose
• players may freely consult the PHB at any time

[we also have the house rule "no PvP," but that's not pertinent to your issue]

Players being players they...of course!...play with their dice at the table, stacking them and whatnot. But dice rolls only occur when called for, and players are asked to refrain from dice rolling when not. I do not mind players reviewing the PHB, especially if they need a refresher on their character's abilities...generally they know when they need to put it down and pay attention (their fellow players will call them on it if they start drifting). At convention games, you sometimes find players have only brought digital copies of their books and thus MUST consult a screen for information, and I am generally more relaxed in a con setting; however, in my "home game" (i.e. when not traveling) I usually have multiple PHBs to pass around (I think I own four or five at the moment?), so it's never "necessary" for someone to pull out their tablet or phone, unless they're getting an emergency call. 

Oh...and I never worry about players "interrupting with rules questions."  I am the Dungeon Master after all...as the de facto referee and Final Word on rules arbitration, I'm supposed to know the rules and be able to provide those rules (as needed) to the players. The players cannot play the game to the best of their ability without full knowledge of the rules, and I want them to play to the best of their ability. 

So, what do we have left? Bill rarely engages but sometimes takes "big risks," getting upset when things go poorly. Okay, well, I LIKE my players to take "big risks;" fortune favors the bold, and it makes for an exciting game at the table. However part of growing in experience as a player is learning to take calculated risks (i.e. not taking DUMB risks)...and that's mostly something that's only learned through 'trial & error' (or observing the trial & error of others). For a "young" player, failure is part of the learning process, and it's okay to let players fail...even losing their characters (they can quickly make a new PC and rejoin the game). Upsets can be managed, by making stakes clear before the player attempts something risky ("Well, Bill, you can try to jump over that lava river, but if you fail your roll the PC is going to plunge to a fiery death...just know that up front.")...but tantrums over failure generally decrease as players mature and build resilience through successive failure. It is just a game, after all.

And as for engagement...well, DM, that part's on you, not the player. 

Unless a player is being forced to play (and I have had one or two of those over the years), no person sits down at the D&D table unless they want to engage with the game play. Don't tell me there are some people who "just like to watch"...that's bullshit. You can watch (i.e. observe) the game being played without siting down and making a character, especially in a public space like an FLGS or con setting. Anyone who sits down wants to play...no ifs, ands, or buts about it. 

But the D&D game doesn't "go" without the DM. If you, DM, simply say "You're in the town of XYZ, what do you want to do?" How are they supposed to engage with that?

Player 1: What can we do?

DM: What do you want to do?

Player 2: Um, is anyone offering a job or a quest?

DM: Where are you looking?

Player 1: Is there a tavern nearby? Maybe with job postings?

DM: There's a tavern...the Lusty Lad...you can go check it out.

Player 3: Okay, we do. What do we find there.

DM: Well there's no "job board." There are some dwarves at a table. The bartender is a bearded half-elf. A few rowdies seem to be fighting over a card game they were playing. A serving wench asks if you're here to eat, drink, or both.

Player 2: We ask the woman if she's heard of any adventure around here.

DM: She says, no, but maybe Old Bartleby might know of something. She says he's an old wizard who lives on the outskirts of town and is always getting up to strange things. 

Player 1: Can we get directions to Bartleby's dwelling? 

DM: Sure, but she wants your food order first.

Player 2: Okay, we get....

Meanwhile, Bill has been reading through his PHB and stacking dice. You know why? Because he's bored. I'm bored. I'm bored reading that, I'm bored writing that, I'd certainly be bored running or playing it.

And yet, many DMs waste precious time running D&D in this fashion. Or worse...detailing an encounter with some shopkeeper for players just looking to buy supplies. Maybe the DM is tarting things up with funny voices and accents...it's still poor game play. 

Yet THIS ain't the answer either:

DM: Your food has arrived and you're just digging in when there's a CRASH! as something huge smashes through the wall just behind you...it's a bulette! And it looks hungry! Declare actions and roll for initiative!

There's no meaningful choice being given here, nor is there any player agency being exercised. How can ANY player (let alone a young, socially awkward one) engage with a game that is purely reactive?

Short answer: they can't. 

For players to engage with material, they must be presented with situations that offer choices, and then be allowed the agency to make meaningful decisions that address the situation. Here's a (simple) example:

DM: You guys are low on cash. You've come to the town of Fulz because you've heard rumor that there's a tomb in the foothills nearby that stuffed full of loot, but the locals won't mess with it because it's also supposed to be full of death traps.

Player 1: How would we even know where it is?

DM: A local man is willing to take you there for a hefty fee...or he can offer you a hastily scrawled map for a lower price. However, finding the place without a guide will probably take longer (and incur more wandering monster rolls).

Players (consulting): Okay, we'll pay the guy to take us there.

DM: Great. Now is there anything you want to buy from the town shops in preparation for the adventure?

Look at that! Right off the bat you've got meaningful decisions to engage the players. Do they want to go loot the tomb (they might decide they don't want to)? Do they want to pay for a guide or a map (they could have chosen neither and looked for a third way to find the tomb)? What adventuring gear are they going to encumber themselves with (and spend their dwindling resources on)? After that, it's just roll a couple of encounter checks and deposit the group at the entrance of the creepy tomb...adventure awaits!

As the DM, you need to be presenting the players with situations and scenarios that forces them to make decisions...meaningful, pertinent decisions. This is what creates engagement in the players...this is what causes them to invest themselves (time and energy) in the campaign.

And these situations don't all need to be as simplistic as the tomb example (though simplistic is good for newer, less experienced players). They can be things like:

DM:  Bishop Eustace, the town's patriarch has died. There are ugly rumors around town that he was assassinated at the behest of the local magistrate (with whom the bishop had been feuding lately over matters both spiritual and temporal). To profess his innocence (and not cause a riot) the magistrate has offered 30,000 gold coins to anyone who can determine solid proof that he had nothing to do with the good bishop's death (and, yet, brings some other culprit to justice).

Or how about:

DM: War has recently broken out between the kingdom and the nearby Duchy of Albion. Towns along the border (about 15 miles from where you are) have been pillaged and burned; rumors say the raiders are orc mercenaries wearing the Duke's livery. The burgermeister is mustering the militia in anticipation of an attack, and all able-bodied men and women are required to take up arms...this would include your party members, if you decide to stay in town.

Immediate situations requiring the players to make meaningful choices. Do they stay and fight? Move on to another town, hoping to keep ahead of the advancing forces? Offer their abilities to one side or another? Throw a monkey-wrench into the whole affair by looking for their own means to profit off the situation?

If Bill is only "rarely engaging" with the game, chances are you're not giving him situations with which to (meaningfully) engage. Without something in which to invest his time and attention, how and why can you expect him to engage? Just because he likes to pretend he's an elf?

So, then, DM, here's my advice with regard to poor awkward, young Bill: design adventure scenarios that require the players to make meaningful decisions. Adopt some house rules that cut down on distraction (no screens at the table, no showing up stoned, etc.). Accept that a young player has some growing to do with regard to maturity (dealing with losses) and learning the game (asking questions). Be patient, be firm, be fair. The player will come around, eventually. And you'll be a better DM for it.

Sincerely,

JB

"Fifteen Years"

It's 3am and I'm awake...again.

The part of insomnia that's really miserable these days is the state of my eyes. Once upon a time, I'd wake up in the middle of the night and just read a book until my eyes got tired again and get back to sleep (this didn't always work, but often enough). Now, my eyes are so bad, I can't even read my computer screen...it's just a big, bright blur. Fortunately, I don't need to be able to read to type...although I imagine my typos are fairly horrendous.

White on black text, however is easier to decipher (probably a way to change my blog settings, if I could read them...), and so I skimming the latest Reddit mailbag to see if there was anything "juicy." And I came across a player complaining about her DM "hating" on her characters because they're too effective (*sigh*) and he keeps introducing house rules to nerf their effectiveness.

[what kind of characters, you ask? how about clerics. how about rogues. Like...the basics. Just another shitty DM who can't handle the game mechanics of D&D...]

Anyway, she was writing that perhaps this is perhaps on her, not the DM, because she's been playing since elementary school and has some fifteen years of experience, mostly as a Dungeon Master, and...

Fifteen years?

Fifteen years?!

Fifteen years is a long f'ing time. The last time I worked a regular job-type job, I worked there for fifteen years, and that was (perhaps) about five years too many. Hell, I was there long enough to be vested in the pension plan (this was back when companies still offered pensions...). Fifteen years was definitely the longest I'd worked at ANY one place....

Fifteen years ago, I had no children. I've packed a lot of living, a lot of life experiences into the last fourteen years of being a father...so much so that remembering my child-less life before is just...ancient history or something.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years from now, my son will be almost 30 years old. Hopefully long graduated from college and having a career of his own...maybe even working on a second career. Possibly having a family of his own. Hell, in fifteen years, I might be a grandfather (still won't be retirement age...assuming Social Security is still around  in fifteen years...).

Fifteen years. The person writing this Reddit letter is probably closer to 30 than 25. Can you imagine? A person with fifteen years of D&D experience under her belt, almost 30 years of age, and the only D&D she knows is 4E and 5E? Because they started publishing 4E in 2008, seventeen years ago. And yet, after fifteen years of regular play...especially regular play as a Dungeon Master...I'd daresay ANYone qualifies as a "seasoned veteran" of D&D gaming. Regardless of the editio played.

Yes. Regardless of the edition being played.

Yesterday, I actually wrote that someone was playing D&D wring (because they are), something I've tried hard to avoid putting down in print for years (I've been writing this blog for more than fifteen years, just by the by). Oh, I'll belittle and berate and bully and happily write there are better ways, smarter ways, more effective ways to play the game...sure. But I try really hard not to just put my foot down and say "you're doing it wrong." Because A) who made me the damn expert and B) if they're enjoying their game play, aren't they de facto doing it "right" and C) even if I am right and even if they are wrong, who cares? Will me writing it down stop them from playing how they play?

So I try not to come right out and say "you're playing wrong." I've done it a couple-four times over the years, but I generally have to be pretty worked up. And I often feel "low" after doing so.

NOW...can I even imagine telling a person with fifteen years of solid experience "you're doing it wrong?"

No. I really can't. Because fifteen years is a LONG ASS TIME. And if your passion and love for the game has lasted a decade and a half, to the point that you are still playing, in an age when almost NOTHING lasts fifteen years (aside from familial relationships and our closest friendships)...a fifteen year vocation/hobby is nothing to sniff at. You're not doing something "wrong;" you are doing something very, very right...at least, you have proven that it's "right" for you.

I am...and have been...possibly/probably too hard on these 'young whippersnappers' (30 year olds). It's just tough for a geezer like me to treat people who've never not known the internet with the degree of seriousness and respect that they (probably?) deserve. For that, I apologize...although, I'm sure that 20 years from now, they'll feel much the same about "kids" in their mid-to-late 20s who've never not known A.I.

It is what it is. 

Anyway...it's getting on towards 4am. I'm going to try to get some sleep...we've got a really huge day ahead of us, celebrating Sofia's birthday and such before kids skip town for Easter (Spring) break.

Happy Good Friday, folks. Sorry for the typos (I'll edit this later...when I can see more than a blur).

"Dear JB" Mailbag #26

Dear JB:

Simple question. You have a story, there's a BBEG, a world, stuff happening. You have planned various things. And one of them (not the whole story, but not something insignificant either) turns out to be, well. Not well liked. Not that anyone became rude/unpleasant over it, but you could tell that the affected players weren't happy. None of them. Not because they didn't succeed, but because, say, the reveal recontextualized who they are in a way they don't find fun. Like. They thought they were a poor orphan rising steadily and making a name for themselves, but aha, it turns out they're a long lost prince and know a kingdom wants them. Or, the church they thought they were doing good deeds for is actually ran by a demon who is empowered by all the bad guys the paladin thought was smiting in the name of justice.

Assuming said reveal, while not making things unplayable for the player, clearly made things less fun for them and assuming that retconing it out wouldn't destroy the campaign's story.

Would you consider retconing it? Would you talk to the affected players you suspect are unhappy to ask them if they're okay with how things went down? Would their input affect your consideration on retconning it?

Would You Change A Plot Point That Wasn't Well Received?

Dear Plot Point:

This is not a "simple question." A simple question is the one I almost pulled from the mailbag this week, namely Advice For Running A Shopping Session? I mean, that question is so simple I could have just answered it with a slap across the face. 

Your question, on the other hand, requires a bit more unpacking.

First off, let me start by saying YOU ARE PLAYING DUNGEONS & DRAGONS WRONG. Yes, yes, I am a jerk who just lives to crap all over peoples' "fun." Sorry, but I'm getting a little tired of beating around the bush on this stuff. The fact is, this wouldn't even be an issue for you if you were playing D&D in the correct fashion. 

But don't worry, I'm going to help. 'Cause I'm a helper (in addition to being a jerk).

And, NO, just by the way, this has NOTHING to do with needing to create more "dungeons" for your game. I've written before that dungeons (i.e. static adventure sites) are only the most basic (read "elementary") building block of the game. Players will of course want to come out of the dungeon...at some point...and do 'different things' besides just delving. And fortunately D&D facilitates that kind of play, too.

SO...let's get down to it. Let's first talk about the linear dimension of TIME. From our unenlightened human perspective, time is composed of three parts: the past, the present, and the future. Even narrowing our perception to these three pieces, in the real world we are pretty frigging limited in our ability to view these things. Not only are we NOT omniscient, but our memory of the past is often flawed, our ability to predict the future is a crapshoot (at best), and our perception of the present is colored by our current emotional state and influenced by those hazy past memories and our hopes and fears about the future. Limited is, perhaps, an understatement.

But at least we have clocks.

Now when it comes to the imaginary game world, our perception gets a LOT more crystal clear. We can pause the action at any moment to explain EXACTLY what is going on in the present: as DM I ask what the PCs are doing, the players tell me, and this is it. Likewise, I can clarify EXACTLY what is going on in the environment: my descriptions for the PCs are considered The Facts and, again, I can pause the game and repeat or reiterate those facts so that the players can make decisions with as close to perfect information as possible. 

And the past? The DM has perfect control of "everything that happened before" the time the campaign started. And the PLAYERS have perfect control over "everything that happened before" the campaign started with respect to their characters, though all within the parameters set by dice rolls, game rules, and (at times) the say-so of the DM...although this latter bit mainly has to do with campaign-specific house rules which are the DM's purview. 

SO...excellent perception of past and present. The future, however? Still a crapshoot...a literal "roll of the dice," more often than not.

Which is how we like it! This is (part of) WHY we play D&D...to be surprised and astonished by the emergent play that develops in unforeseen ways at the gaming table. Yes, yes, D&D also allows us our escapist fantasy into a world where we cast magic spells or swing an axe with 18/99 strength...but for those actions to matter, we can't know the outcome beforehand...the future must remain a mystery until it becomes the present. There is no risk, when the future is known...and without risk, there is no excitement. No adrenaline/dopamine high. Which is the chemical reason for why we play the game, even if there are plenty of other great reasons to do so.

[other reasons include: human contact, increasing empathy, building knowledge, practicing literacy, organization, and math skills, fostering cooperation and creativity, improving focus and attention, etc.]

Anyway...that's the way the game is supposed to be played. That ain't what you're doing.

D&D PLAY IS NOT STORYTELLING. I know I keep saying this (in different ways) but it is so difficult to drill this through the calcified ignorance of the thick-skulled modern gamer. A storyteller (for example, an author or playwright) has PERFECT INFORMATION OF THE FUTURE. Because they are telling a story for a reason and thus need to know the final destination of the story. How does it get to "The End?" How does the situation resolve for the hero/villain? Is anything "learned" by the characters of the story? Do any of the characters change/develop...for good or for ill?  A storyteller has complete control over their story and knows both its beginning and its end. For the story's audience, the future is unknown, but the audience members are simply passengers on the ride (hopefully an entertaining ride)...there is no mystery for the teller of the tale. 

D&D is not an act of storytelling. The DM is not a storyteller; they are a participant in a game. The players are not characters in a story; they are participants in a game. We do not know the outcome of a game; we play a game NOT ONLY for the enjoyment of the game play BUT with at least some curiosity to see in what way the play of the game will resolve itself. 

These "problems" you cite, Plot Point, are only problems that come from your attachment to outcomes...they come from you wanting to be a storyteller, from wanting the future to play out in a particular fashion, and from wanting a deeper control over the past and present than what you have a right to or (I'd argue) what you are authorized to have.

Let's look at the two examples you give in your letter:

#1 A player creates a character. Let's say the character is a human fighter. The player says the character was an orphan (a good enough concept...they could have just as easily said they came from a loving household full of siblings), and you tacitly gave permission to this...as the player proceeded to act under this assumption ("rising steadily," working to "make a name for themselves") without you disabusing themselves of this notion until, "O Wait...you're a prince and your people want you back." 

Nope...you don't get to do that. I mean, you can (it would seem you certainly did) but this kind of pulling the rug out will breed distrust within your players. And without trust in the DM as a neutral referee (because, instead, the DM has demonstrated an arbitrary nature of warping reality, i.e. the game "past") the players are no longer under any obligation to take the game seriously. Certainly, they will be less "free and open" with the choices they make (i.e. you've clamped down on player agency) because they now understand that reality is subject to whimsical DM fiat at any moment the DM is inclined to make things "a better story." If the DM can suddenly say one character is a "prince" what's to stop the DM from saying another character is "demon spawned" or another PC has a "hereditary disease that will eventually cause blindness" or...whatever? Nothing, that's what.

The game has rules. Players make their characters. DMs make the world. Them's the rules. Fuck your story. This kind of shit kills players' desire to play.

#2 You have a "big reveal" that the church of good deeds is run by "a demon who is empowered by all the bad guys the paladin thought was smiting in the name of justice." First off, this doesn't make any sense in terms of D&D game concepts. Second off, it's lazy and stupid world building.

Now, a quick caveat: it is PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE for a DM to create an organization (church, guild, town council, whatever) that is being influenced or controlled by nefarious actors (demons, evil mages, Russian oligarchs, whatever). Corruption and organized crime are a lot older than the Medici family. In fact, depending on how "grimdark" the DM's campaign, it might be a challenge for the players to find ANY outside group or institution worth trusting or working for...and that's FINE. Such a campaign world can foster a deep sense of camaraderie and trust in the players (which we want for a solid game) as they come to find that the only folks they can rely on are themselves. Just understand where this is going to lead your campaign (some DMs dislike the idea of a "grimdark" setting) and understand that you, DM, are creating this paranoia in your players.

However, that doesn't seem to be what's happening here. Instead, Plot Point, there's a decision to pull the rug out (again) for the sake of a "big reveal" (for effect) that makes little sense in terms of verisimilitude: why is the demon-ruled church hiring the PCs to do "good deeds?" How is the demon empowered by smote "bad guys?" How is this church even continuing to function? Do the clerics still offer healing magic? How? Why has there been no hint/foreshadowing of this before (in terms of clerics losing spell casting ability, weirdness among the church hierarchy, parishioners being "disappeared," temple losing its feeling of "sanctity," paladin detecting evil, etc.)? 

And perhaps the answer to all those questions is "it's a new thing;" the demon JUST took over, the process of corruption has just begun, and the church is going to be WAY different now that there's 'a new sheriff in town.' And if that's the case, then this new development represents NOT a "plot point" but just another SITUATION to occupy the attention of a hearty group of adventurers. 

And that is "normal" D&D. And, as such, there's NOTHING to "retcon:" as with any and all "normal D&D" scenarios, players are free to take it or leave it...they have agency; they have choice. There's nothing to complain about...either they'll say "Boo! Hiss! We need to stop this demonic entity for the sake of getting our goody-goody church back!" Or they'll say "Eh, not worth the effort" and move on to a different town with a different church/patriarch (while the demon-corrupted shrine continues to grow and fester and become a bigger problem to the campaign world). 

SO...if I were to give a "simple answer" to your "simple question," I'd (simply) say: there's never any reason to retcon. Keep your hands off PCs' personal histories (i.e. "backstories") once the PCs are in play. And don't undermine verisimilitude and basic game tenets in the name of "cheap thrills" (i.e. reveals, plot twists). Stop worrying about the integrity/continuity of your campaign's precious "story;" D&D is not a game about telling stories.

How many ways do I need to say this?

Sincerely, 

JB

Quick Tuesday News & Notes

Spent all of yesterday doing my taxes, so I'm taking a bit of a day for myself. Apologies. Hope to post something later this week.

For the curious: our volleyball season is over. We lost in the semi-final to a very good team that received some very questionable line-judging calls from the parent/volunteer. By my count we won the first set 25-21 (rather than lost 21-25), and if that's judged differently, we go to a third set with our strongest players and a good chance to win. Maybe. They were still a very good team.

And you can call it sour grapes, but we did go to the championship on Sunday (by "we" I mean myself and half the team), and watched a game with neutral (i.e. official league ref) line judges and watched them play extremely mediocre and get beat in straight sets. To a team that (I think) we also could have handled.

Ah, well...it is what it is. We had a very good, very successful season with a group of kids (most of whom were new to the sport) who had a great time. Losing is a part of sport...a valuable part, as it helps build resilience. You don't die from a loss: you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on to the next challenge, hopefully taking a moment to glance over your shoulder at the road you just navigated for the length of the season (12 weeks for us, and a lot of victories under the belt). There's even some discussion about a couple/few of our players moving into club volleyball. Diego's one of them...though he intends to see how his soccer try-outs go first.

Volleyball. Such fun.

 

And good for the boys. Been listening to Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast lately and I found this one with Logan Ury and Scott Galloway was really thought provoking. While it doesn't address Dungeons & Dragons or the place of fantasy RPGs in the scheme of the declining demographic of young males, it made me consider what could be the benefit of such groups (something that has been broached before by others in our community). Noisms definitely had a point with the importance of male role-models to young men...and yet, I'm NOT a humongous fan of "all dude gaming groups," finding it pretty neat/useful to have people of different genders playing/operating together in a cooperative fashion that lets all sides see others' strength and value to the collective. For me, growing up playing D&D with young women was immensely helpful...and yet, I also had the benefit of many male role models in my life (my father was around till I was seventeen, and I had male teachers, male coaches, male Scout masters, etc.). There are plenty of boys...including those I grew up with...who didn't have the same luxury. And that sad state of affairs is, it seems, becoming more common not less.

Mm. Just something I'm thinking about this week, as my own "young man" (who is now taller than his mother) is gearing up for high school. Probably I should just keep coaching.

Funny observation from coaching both boys and girls sports teams: with regard to boys, the main issue is keeping them disciplined and focused; for girls, the main issue is stoking their "competitive fire." Doesn't mean there aren't boys who are disciplined (like Diego) or girls who are fiery competitors (like Sofia), I'm just talking about "general trends." But you know what? I think one of the things that has helped BOTH my kids in this regard is the game of Dungeons & Dragons: playing D&D has forced Diego to reign back his more reckless impulses and had forced Sofia to step up and be more assertive. Yet another great reason to encourage your kids to play D&D from an early age!

*ahem*

The last thing I'll mention is that I am, indeed, working on some D&Dish stuff; ending vball, getting the taxes filed, and getting through all D's high school enrollment stuff means I suddenly have some extra "free" time. Today, I've been going through a LOT of old stuff that's been lingering in open windows on Ye Old laptop...adventures I'm writing and whatnot...and I came across this old (I mean old) post that any fan of T1 or The Temple of Elemental Evil might enjoy perusing. It's not the blog post itself, but the discussion in the comments (spearheaded by the once prolific scottsz) that is worth the read. This kind of discussion...minus all the Greyhawk-ian "lore"...is the kind of thought process I go through these days when I'm rewriting/repurposing a Hickman adventure module. Not that they don't "function" (well...) adequately for an evening's D&D entertainment. But it's possible to do a deeper dive and dig into the "why" of a thing such that it translates into stronger world building in your campaign.

Which is a VERY GOOD thing. For me, anyway. Because I'm not into superficial ("cheap") thrills when it comes to my game. Oh, it doesn't matter to me that such information will probably NEVER matter to anyone besides myself (certainly not the players!)...it helps me understand and grasp how the adventure works and how it fits with everything else going on in my game world. Which gives a comprehension of my campaign world such that I can answer any insipid questions the players come up with in a reasoned and meaningful way. Which makes me a better Dungeon Master. Hard to be a Dungeon Master if you can't even 'master' your own world.

ANYway...good post, good discussion. I'm not a Greyhawk dude, but between that, Joe Bloch, and Trent (whose new book you should take a look at if you're interested in 1E adventure material) I feel like I might want to do something with ToEE. And I have a pretty good idea what (although let me get through these other three projects first!).

Also, it may be time to revisit cosmology in my AD&D game. That should be the subject of my next blog post.  When I have the time.

; )