Mike Shea

So one of the things that I think came out of this is this idea that if the metaphor of, you know, that all the players should be buying stuff from an RPG company is sort of flawed, then another approach, another way of looking at it is this idea that producers of RPG products are making expert software for expert users. That we GMs are not run-of-the-mill RPG players.

So one of the things that I think came out of this is this idea that if the metaphor of, you know, that all the players should be buying stuff from an RPG company is sort of flawed, then another approach, another way of looking at it is this idea that producers of RPG products are making expert software for expert users. That we GMs are not run-of-the-mill RPG players.

So one of the things that I think came out of this is this idea that if the metaphor of, you know, that all the players should be buying stuff from an RPG company is sort of flawed, then another approach, another way of looking at it is this idea that producers of RPG products are making expert software for expert users. That we GMs are not run-of-the-mill RPG players.

We're not just ones picking up for their first time. Some are, but not all of us. But once we got playing for a little while, now we need other tools to help us run our game more easily, help us get groups together, help us run fun sessions, help us build worlds, save us time, give us things we can't make ourselves. We are like users of Photoshop and users of Final Cut.

We're not just ones picking up for their first time. Some are, but not all of us. But once we got playing for a little while, now we need other tools to help us run our game more easily, help us get groups together, help us run fun sessions, help us build worlds, save us time, give us things we can't make ourselves. We are like users of Photoshop and users of Final Cut.

We're not just ones picking up for their first time. Some are, but not all of us. But once we got playing for a little while, now we need other tools to help us run our game more easily, help us get groups together, help us run fun sessions, help us build worlds, save us time, give us things we can't make ourselves. We are like users of Photoshop and users of Final Cut.

more than we are like users of AOL, right? Or other sort of general purpose users. We are expert users who need expert software to run it.

more than we are like users of AOL, right? Or other sort of general purpose users. We are expert users who need expert software to run it.

more than we are like users of AOL, right? Or other sort of general purpose users. We are expert users who need expert software to run it.

And I think it's interesting when you look at Game Master guides, as an example, if we look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, the Level Up Advanced 5e Trials and Treasure, and the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, we can kind of see a difference in design philosophy that I think if you look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, and keep in mind, I wrote part of it.

And I think it's interesting when you look at Game Master guides, as an example, if we look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, the Level Up Advanced 5e Trials and Treasure, and the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, we can kind of see a difference in design philosophy that I think if you look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, and keep in mind, I wrote part of it.

And I think it's interesting when you look at Game Master guides, as an example, if we look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, the Level Up Advanced 5e Trials and Treasure, and the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, we can kind of see a difference in design philosophy that I think if you look at the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide, and keep in mind, I wrote part of it.

I was commissioned to write for the Game Master's Guide, so I'm definitely biased in my understanding of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide. But I think that that book, more than the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, is a book written for experienced game masters to help give them tools to change their game, modify their game, and build their game in lots of different directions.

I was commissioned to write for the Game Master's Guide, so I'm definitely biased in my understanding of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide. But I think that that book, more than the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, is a book written for experienced game masters to help give them tools to change their game, modify their game, and build their game in lots of different directions.

I was commissioned to write for the Game Master's Guide, so I'm definitely biased in my understanding of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide. But I think that that book, more than the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, is a book written for experienced game masters to help give them tools to change their game, modify their game, and build their game in lots of different directions.

And if we look at the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, they stepped away from a lot of that stuff. For example, a big one is there is no monster statistics by challenge rating list. There's no real way to build a monster from scratch using the 2024 Dungeon Masters guide.

And if we look at the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, they stepped away from a lot of that stuff. For example, a big one is there is no monster statistics by challenge rating list. There's no real way to build a monster from scratch using the 2024 Dungeon Masters guide.

And if we look at the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, they stepped away from a lot of that stuff. For example, a big one is there is no monster statistics by challenge rating list. There's no real way to build a monster from scratch using the 2024 Dungeon Masters guide.

They have some guide that's about re-skinning them, but we have nothing about what the difference is between a legendary monster and a normal monster. We can look at the books and reverse engineer the fact that legendary monsters seem to be doing more damage than normal monsters at the same challenge rating. I think that's really good, but... but I'd sure like to know what went behind it.

They have some guide that's about re-skinning them, but we have nothing about what the difference is between a legendary monster and a normal monster. We can look at the books and reverse engineer the fact that legendary monsters seem to be doing more damage than normal monsters at the same challenge rating. I think that's really good, but... but I'd sure like to know what went behind it.