1d12 subdual: Links to More Wisdom

I have read millions and millions of words on designing and modifying tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. Over the years, I have accumulated many, many bookmarks to resources that I find incredibly useful and thought-provoking. As my interest in designing a game enters its tenure and I begin to focus more on playing the game, I figured I would create a master list of all the posts that have inspired me and steered me in the right direction when considering how to make my game.

Although I can honestly say it was a joy delving into the depths of the internet's RPG world to find all these diamonds in the rough, I can only imagine the years (literally) that this list might save someone else who is hoping to learn what people have to say about tabletop RPGs.

Obviously, these posts deserve all the props they can receive. And, if you see the same writer being listed numerous times, you should check out their entire blog because they are doing something right.

DESIGNING THE GAME

Complete Homebrew, House Rules, and Hacks

Pathfinder_OGC
The Hypertext d20 SRD (v3.5 d20 System Reference Document) :: d20srd.org
Forgotten Runes: Rulenomicon
The Dragon's Flagon: Incarnations of classic D&D
2d6 Fantasy Game | Necropraxis
2d6 Vancian Variant | Necropraxis
Goblin Punch: A Ruleset of My Very Own
The House of Rules | Last Gasp
Finchbox Rules | Necropraxis
The XP Experience: S&W Home-School House Rules
Jeffs Gameblog: draft Cinder house rules, part 1
Jeffs Gameblog: draft Cinder house rules, part 2
Classic D&D house rules (Robert Fisher)
What Would Conan Do?: Dead City Player's Guide
Joethelawyer's Wondrous Imaginings: Blood Island Player Info---Classes, Races, House Rules, Special NPC Classes, etc.
Goblin Punch
Dreams in the Lich House: House Rules for B/X and Weird Fantasy Roleplaying
ZENOPUS ARCHIVES: The Holmes Manuscript
Cyclopeatron: Gary Gygax’s Whitebox OD&D House Rules
Ironlands: AD 1000 House Rules
Ironlands: AD 1000 D&D
Ironlands: House Rules
Delta's D&D Hotspot: Primary House Rules
imaginary hallways: Rules Hacks I Have Loved
Once More Unto the Breach!: H is for House Rules
Ironlands: Wilderness & Wizards: a b/X-LOTFP hack to play tolkienish games
Ironlands: Lands of Khem: Rules
Goblin Punch: The GLOG

General Design Wisdom & Elegance Campaign Wiki LinksToWisdom: HomePage Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Elegance Delta's D&D Hotspot: Magic Number Seven Delta's D&D Hotspot: 1-2-(3)-Infinity Roles, Rules, and Rolls: Analog, Digital, Procedural Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Where The Dials Are GROGNARDIA: On the Oracular Power of Dice GROGNARDIA: Attitudes Toward Dice Monsters and Manuals: Fudge You The Alexandrian » Dissociated Mechanics – A Brief Primer B/X BLACKRAZOR: A Different Paradigm Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Where The Action Is (Part 2) (Grognardia, Jack Vance, The Meaning of Life etc.) Roles, Rules, and Rolls: Anatomy of an Unused Rule Socratic Design: Socratic Design Topical Index #2 Chivalry & Sorcery… Go Together In Perfect… Harmony | inthecitiesdotcom At what level do these game elements become irrelevant? « Blog of Holding The Disoriented Ranger: The Good Game (another exorcism of thoughts) Delta's D&D Hotspot: Giants in the Earth Index DYVERS: Best Reads of the Week! Goblin Punch: OSR-Style Challenges: Rulings Not Rules
Ability Scores GROGNARDIA: My Problem with Ability Scores GROGNARDIA: Ability Scores and Sub-classes GROGNARDIA: Grognard's Grimoire: Ability Scores GROGNARDIA: Open Friday: Ability Score Modifiers GROGNARDIA: More Musings on Ability Scores Delta's D&D Hotspot: Con Bonus to HP Roles, Rules, and Rolls: Consolation Ability Bump B/X BLACKRAZOR: Dissing Dexterity Cyclopeatron: Simple Multi-Ability Checks in Classic D&D Hill Cantons: Attribute Checks: The Simple Route Two approaches to ability scores | Necropraxis greatcleave: 01. Attributes Bond with a Stat Increase (5e) — Ken the DM
Hit Points and Saving Throws Olde School Wizardry: What's the (Hit) Point? M E T A L vs S K I N: The Hit Point Stopwatch and No Saving Throws (mechanical musings) Deferred Hit Points | Necropraxis Delta's D&D Hotspot: Saves as Severity Stabilized Carcosa hit dice | Necropraxis Archive of the Rotted Moon: Dutch Courage Chimeric Fantasm: Health & Healing Goblin Punch: Narrative Wounds and Fast HP Refreshment Strange Magic: Alternate Saving Throws for B/X D&D
Skills and Skill Checks Telecanter's Receding Rules: House Rules - Skills Hack & Slash: On Skills in Games (A Surprising Insight!) Hack & Slash: Skills: A Conclusion With 10 Rules B/X BLACKRAZOR: No More Skill Rolls, Dammit! Swords & Wizardry Forums • View topic - Thieves? Herbalists? Etc? Introducing the "Good-At" System Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Use It Or Lose It...Or, Rather, Don't Get It In The First Place Ynas Midgard's RPG Blog: Alertness and Stealth Magician's Manse: A New Way to Handle Exploratory Skills The City of Iron: A simple attribute-based skills / "good at" system Let's talk about Stealth in RPGs
Experience Points and Leveling Up Sham's Grog 'n Blog: Experience by Plundering How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less: Experience Systems: The Foundation of the Game Jeffs Gameblog: eXPloration Jeffs Gameblog: Party like it's 999
Simplicity The Rusty Battle Axe: Dungeon Rules: Super Simplified S&W The Clash of Spear on Shield: Streamlined Gaming: Thoughts on Ken's Post Bat in the Attic: Low Magic with Swords and Wizardry Gothridge Manor: Minimalistic Gaming Weirder Fantasy | Tales of the Rambling Bumblers Circle of Dar Janix: Megadungeons with Streamlined Rules Wonders & Witchcraft: W&W House rules: A Question of Class B/X BLACKRAZOR: The Big Twelve B/X BLACKRAZOR: Multi-Class B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmesian Subclass and Race Index Howling Tower: Class Balance Howling Tower: Class Imbalance Ironlands: My D&D Rules Quickly, Quietly, Carefully: Simplified encumbrance, movement, and wandering monster checks Sneaking and Hiding without Thieves. | Original D&D Discussion Raging Owlbear: D&D / OSR: Encumbrance Made Easy
Combat How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less: Why D&D Has Lots of Rules for Combat: A General Theory Encompassing All Editions Trollsmyth: Shields Shall be Splintered! Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Called Shot Mechanic Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Lucky Number Kung Fu Monologic combat | Necropraxis Playing D&D With Porn Stars: 6 Simple Martial Arts Systems Weapons Quick Reference | Necropraxis Delta's D&D Hotspot: Granularity in Turns Super-Simple Combat Maneuvers | Tales of the Rambling Bumblers ars ludi » Initiative: the Silent Killer Aeons & Augauries: The Naked Warrior or Diapers in the Dungeon The Nine and Thirty Kingdoms: Shield Rule B/X BLACKRAZOR: Radically Faster Combat: Auto-Hits Hack & Slash: On the Weariness of Armor ZENOPUS ARCHIVES: Table: Number of Attacks and Damage Per Round Lamentations of the Flame Princess House Rules, Part 1 of 2 | Papers and Pencils RPG Design – How detailed a combat system do you need? | Emergence Campaign Weblog Roles, Rules, and Rolls: High-level D&D Combat: General Escalation Troll and Flame: Choice via Simplicity Degree of success as damage | Necropraxis Jeffs Gameblog: Consolation Prize-based weapon mechanics Akratic Wizardry: Everyone can Backstab ... B/X BLACKRAZOR: Explaining D6 Damage An Abominable Fancy: Grappling Rules, Compared A Paladin In Citadel: Armor And Shields Revisited Sham's Grog 'n Blog: What Price Glory part One Sham's Grog 'n Blog: What Price Glory part Two Sham's Grog 'n Blog: What Price Glory part Three
Warriors and Bastards Beyond the Black Gate: Expanding the Fighting Man again - more options for your Old-School Edition Fighter. B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: Subclasses THE LAND OF NOD: New Spell - New Monster - New Class Daddy Grognard: Elesalia - The Rose Blades The Retired Adventurer: Feats of Strength: A Proposal for Fighters Sword+1: Rangers for Holmes D&D
Clerics and Religions The Nine and Thirty Kingdoms: Clerics Without Spells Of Dice and Djinn: Prophets (cleric sub-class) The Tao of D&D: How To Play A Cleric Magician's Manse: OD&D clerics and Zoroastrianism Bat in the Attic: The best summary of a paladin I have read (repost) ZENOPUS ARCHIVES: No Spell Scrolls for Clerics B/X BLACKRAZOR: Druids: First Thoughts B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Druid (Part 1) B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Druid (Part 2) B/X BLACKRAZOR: Prepping for the Monk B/X BLACKRAZOR: Monk Dissection B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Monk M E T A L vs S K I N: Blood Druid (NPC&PC class for old school D&Dish games) Why Clerics (Still) Suck ~ Rule of the Dice Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Vorn's Domain Path for 5e Clerics Improved Turn Undead Spell | Necropraxis Semper Initiativus Unum: A Small Change, a Very Different Cleric Goblin Punch: Detaching Advancement From Levels + Secret Monk Techniques Goblin Punch: Search results for dog gloomtrain: a god is a kind of monster Cleric Spells for a Dying Earth - Infinite Dragons Mesmerized by sirens: The difference between Enchantments and Miracles
Magic and Magic-users Jeffs Gameblog: hybrid Chainmail/DCC spellcasting False Machine: SHAMAN Class 2d6 Casting Again | Necropraxis Trollsmyth: Playing with Witches Goblin Punch: YOU'RE DOING FAMILIARS ALL WRONG Wizard’s Duels | The Dice Mechanic B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Illusionist (Part 1) B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Illusionist (Part 2) Arcane Corruption: The Dark Side of Magic for D&D 5th Edition | Daemons & Deathrays A Paladin In Citadel: Wizards' Duels And Countering Spells Maleficence | Necropraxis Ten Foot Polemic: The Muscle Wizard Playing D&D With Porn Stars: THE WIZARD!!!!! Spells Without Levels | Necropraxis Learning spells: risks & investments | Necropraxis Vaults of Nagoh: Magic in the Vaults game
Thieves and Scoundrels B/X BLACKRAZOR: Thieves and Assassins B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: Assassins B/X BLACKRAZOR: Holmes Rules: The Bard greatcleave: Sneak Attack and Spells That Hurt (Gaming) B/X BLACKRAZOR: assassins Labyrinth Lord Bard Character Class | The Lizard Man Diaries Strolen's Citadel: 30 Assassins By valadaar Strolen's Citadel: 30 Bardic Tales By Silveressa The Rogue Class, Part Five | Tribality Goblin Punch: New Class: Poet / Storyteller Vaults of Nagoh: Thiefless D&D
Race-Classes B/X BLACKRAZOR: Class, Multi-Class, Race, and Holmes Goblin Punch: God Hates Orcs Goblin Punch: An Orcish Prayer Roles, Rules, and Rolls: Dwarves and Weather Violent Media - Dice and Design: Three Paragraphs about Dwarves The Acorn Afloat: Dwarf oil Goblin Punch: Halflings and Goblins All Things Gaming: 5th Edition Monstrous PCs: Lizardfolk Strolen's Citadel: 30 Halfling Gifts (For Services Rendered) By Murometz Strolen's Citadel: 30 Tieflings and the Gifts they bestow By EchoMirage Realms of Chirak: D&D 5E: The Bagheera,a playable character race The Realm of Zhu: An Unnatural History of the Fighting Fantasy Orc Goblin Punch: A Few More Words on Dwarven Culture Goblin Punch: New Class: Really Good Dog Goblin Punch: Dwarven Architecture
Necropraxis's 20 Quick Questions and their Answers 20 Quick Questions: Rules | Necropraxis Pahvelorn 20 Rules Clarifications | Necropraxis The Bastard's Blade: 20 Answers for Brendan The Other Side blog: 20 Questions Dungeons & Differentials: 20 Quick Questions Back to the Keep: Another 20 Questions World of Ortix: Answers to another set of questions Bat in the Attic: 20 questions about my D&D game Daddy Grognard: Untimately's 20 Questions - and my answers The Disoriented Ranger: 20 Questions Answered! A Life Full of Adventure: Twenty Questions Uncle Matt's Place: Lists are fun 20 Quick Questions: Rules | In My Campaign - Thoughts on RPG design and play Dragões & Masmorras: 20 Quick Questions: Rules Lasgunpacker: Utimately 20 Questions The City of Iron: 20 quick questions d20 Dialectic: Untimate Quiz Sword+1: My answers to 20 Questions...

RUNNING THE GAME

Links to More Wisdom

DESIGNING THE GAME

Complete Homebrew, House Rules, and Hacks

General Design Wisdom & Elegance

Ability Scores

Hit Points and Saving Throws

Skills and Skill Checks

Experience Points and Leveling Up

Simplicity

Combat

Warriors and Bastards

Clerics and Religions

Magic and Magic-users

Thieves and Scoundrels

Race-Classes

Necropraxis's 20 Quick Questions and their Answers

RUNNING THE GAME

Adventures

Dungeons

Monsters

Treasure

Traps, Poisons, and Disease

Towns and Cities

NPCs

Running Combat

Old School Tone

Making Magic

Spells

Tools

Puzzles and Riddles

World-building

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