Need to do the same thing in other countries (like Australia for me).  I can't justify flying into the US (not just cost, but all the other nonsense) just to get access to LoG games etc.

Thank you for Maps VTT. Truly I do appreciate it. I cannot afford to get setup in the physical world but I can buy the books and having a direct platform and with such a great character sheet platform. Top notch work. Simple and very very useful. Probably the most productive tools you have is DnDBeyond sheets and Maps VTT when it comes to making DnD muc more useful. It would be fantastic to see the 2014 campaigns come to life in Video Games truly that would be fantastic using a tool like Larians Baldurs Gate 3. Much like historically games have been produced. But the Maps VTT really makes it easier on me. And Sigil, if you could make all your previous books into Sigil games. So much easier and scalable work for bringing the tabletop and book work to life. You should get your writers back. They are a tremendous contribution to DnD. And I do not at all care about Magic. Never played it in my life. DnD is all the TTRPG i could need. So please keep the game growing. Its slow but the progress is absolutely a little sparkle of shine. 

Btw, you can put a ton of effort into making a Magic Card game for Android but you cant make a simple Maps VTT for it? Or any app? Ive been waiting years for a solid android app, other than the dndbeyond app, that is playable for DnD. What gives?

is gen con coming to calgary

They need to eliminate the corrupt character generation system... none of this forcing standard array or point buy on players... if they want to make it uniform, add dice pool:
DM rolls a Standard (24d6), Strong (30d6), or Heroic (36d6) Pool
Rerolls all 1s until there are no 1s left
Keep the highest 18 dice
Players build their stats by allocating those 18 dice in sets of three to their scores.

This follows the intention of dice being rolled, it creates parties who are the Heroes of the Story, not victims for DMs wanting to kill players (which was the only reason to use Standard Array or Point Buy, because DMs without skill wanted to kill the player's characters), it eliminates the only issues with normal dice rolling (some players are luckier at rolling than others, sometimes you don't have a real range of rolls making a character without strengths and weaknesses but just too average overall), it allows the players to still build their concepts their way, focusing on abilities they want most while allowing others to shine in other abilities, and it makes sure no one has more points in abilities than others. 

It is also offensive to not allow more subclasses, species, and backgrounds (They can all be reflavored for Greyhawk), even if they are third party/partnered content. Provide more options, ALWAYS, not less.

Quote from TrueGeminiDragon >>

They need to eliminate the corrupt character generation system... none of this forcing standard array or point buy on players... if they want to make it uniform, add dice pool:
DM rolls a Standard (24d6), Strong (30d6), or Heroic (36d6) Pool
Rerolls all 1s until there are no 1s left
Keep the highest 18 dice
Players build their stats by allocating those 18 dice in sets of three to their scores.

This follows the intention of dice being rolled, it creates parties who are the Heroes of the Story, not victims for DMs wanting to kill players (which was the only reason to use Standard Array or Point Buy, because DMs without skill wanted to kill the player's characters), it eliminates the only issues with normal dice rolling (some players are luckier at rolling than others, sometimes you don't have a real range of rolls making a character without strengths and weaknesses but just too average overall), it allows the players to still build their concepts their way, focusing on abilities they want most while allowing others to shine in other abilities, and it makes sure no one has more points in abilities than others. 

It is also offensive to not allow more subclasses, species, and backgrounds (They can all be reflavored for Greyhawk), even if they are third party/partnered content. Provide more options, ALWAYS, not less.

 Any rolling of stats is guaranteed to get people who intentionally fudge the dice.  Remember these rules will be used for local pickup games for groups, just like Adventurer's League was, once the convention cycles are over.

Standard array and point buy ensure that no-one "luckily" rolls straight 18s.

What you do in your home games, is 100% up to you, but this is stranger-meets-stranger games where no-one can really be 100% trusted to follow the rules without fudging.

Also, be less offended.  Searching for offense in everything you see makes you bitter.

I’ve never seen this dm wanting to kill players mentality in my 30+ years of playing and DMing.   Is it what you’re actuality experienced or just repeating an urban legend that gets perpetuated on line?  The dice rolling method you mentioned is worth a try, thanks as wel will give a go next campaign!  

Quote from Perringaiden >>

Quote from TrueGeminiDragon >>

They need to eliminate the corrupt character generation system... none of this forcing standard array or point buy on players... if they want to make it uniform, add dice pool:
DM rolls a Standard (24d6), Strong (30d6), or Heroic (36d6) Pool
Rerolls all 1s until there are no 1s left
Keep the highest 18 dice
Players build their stats by allocating those 18 dice in sets of three to their scores.

This follows the intention of dice being rolled, it creates parties who are the Heroes of the Story, not victims for DMs wanting to kill players (which was the only reason to use Standard Array or Point Buy, because DMs without skill wanted to kill the player's characters), it eliminates the only issues with normal dice rolling (some players are luckier at rolling than others, sometimes you don't have a real range of rolls making a character without strengths and weaknesses but just too average overall), it allows the players to still build their concepts their way, focusing on abilities they want most while allowing others to shine in other abilities, and it makes sure no one has more points in abilities than others. 

It is also offensive to not allow more subclasses, species, and backgrounds (They can all be reflavored for Greyhawk), even if they are third party/partnered content. Provide more options, ALWAYS, not less.

 Any rolling of stats is guaranteed to get people who intentionally fudge the dice.  Remember these rules will be used for local pickup games for groups, just like Adventurer's League was, once the convention cycles are over.

Standard array and point buy ensure that no-one "luckily" rolls straight 18s.

What you do in your home games, is 100% up to you, but this is stranger-meets-stranger games where no-one can really be 100% trusted to follow the rules without fudging.

Also, be less offended.  Searching for offense in everything you see makes you bitter.

 
Ergo, why I suggested the Pool system. Standard Array and Point Buy assure player Characters are average in a game meant to be about being Hercules (Strength 16 at birth, as he killed two snakes as an Infant; far stronger by the time he started adventuring), Robin Hood (A noble who was the Greatest Marksman in the Land when he was just starting off), Lancelot, or numerous other great Heroes who were well beyond average at start.

You have it wrong, the point is for people to be able to drop in and out of campaigns, while still being heroes.

Standard Array and Point Buy have nothing to do with fairness, they are only for DMs who want to kill players... I have seen it in person and from watching other tables, and it is always happening, because Monsters have considerably higher stats than standard array. 

The solution is not to weaken players, it is to have a higher uniform standard that adapts. Point Buy is already inherently wrong... the +1 mod difference of a 17 vs 18 is no different than the +1 mode difference between a 11 vs a 12, so going from 17 to 18 shouldn't cost and insane amount, and it should be the cap, not a 15... additionally 10, not 8 should be the starting point, 4 not 8 should be the lowest number, each point down being added points to going higher, so if a Barbarian wants a Str 18, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 16, Cha 13, before racial/background mods, that could be their stats. Building Player characters up promotes the game, weakening all players for false equality hurts the game. Until all characters can be SAD (Single Ability Dependent) and none are MAD (Multi Ability Dependent), it is a huge hobbling to force everyone to have lower abilities, when some characters can't function without more while others only need one.

Quote from TimBenton >>

I’ve never seen this dm wanting to kill players mentality in my 30+ years of playing and DMing.   Is it what you’re actuality experienced or just repeating an urban legend that gets perpetuated on line?  The dice rolling method you mentioned is worth a try, thanks as well will give a go next campaign!  

 
Seen it too often. Two outright admitted it, said that if they don't have 75% or more of the party in Death Saves, they feel they're not doing their job (This was with a party that they DM and Party admitted the only healing was the Bard and a Paladin that both only ever healed themselves, and EVERY dedicated Healer Player that joined quit... I was one of them, I did nothing my first session that I joined except try to bring the party up from 0, after being told by the DM and half the players that they really needed a healer... because someone else wanted to join as a Druid the next session, I begged to make a new character to help in a different way, and made a Barbarian to Tank to keep the party up... which visibly annoyed the DM how successful my Path of the Giants Barbarian was at that). When Level 3s are confronting a half dozen CR 8s... or a party Level 6s dropped into an area with multiple CR 25s as well as dozens upon dozens of other CR 14 - CR 23 and had the portal back shutoff, the DM is not trying to create tension, they are killing the PCs and then telling them, they only lived, because this NPC the DM sent to save them from death, thank the NPC, who will kill you where you stand if you disrespect them.

You have been fortunate, and that is a good thing. Sadly, too many DMs play the game from the perspective that their job is to destroy players... I actively choose to DM from the perspective that it is far better to have the players telling me I can ramp up the challenge more, rather than seeing they fear every encounter. The dice will eventually screw the players plenty, a single day of bad rolls is plenty humiliating and deadly enough, there is almost never a need for the DM to make things difficult. I nearly had TPK on a Party of Level six 5s by 6 Zombies and a single Zombie Warrior (Easy Encounter), except the party got cocky and unlucky, while I kept rolling well on Undead Fortitude and refreshing the Zombie Warrior's Spew Bile, the Zombies wouldn't stay down, the Ranger and the Druid both nearly to went down to Spew Bile and poor (DC 12) Con Saves, the usually Pyromaniac Wizard decided to not use a single fire based spell the entire fight, the party kept clumping together close to the Zombie Fighter, making Spew Bile a more optimal choice when it refreshed (three times)... so I never see the reason to handicap players with low stats (They all built their stats from Seven 6s, Four 5s, Six 4s, & one 3, before mods, a pretty good Pool, I have rolled much better), because the stats are a minor factor, when it isn't the luck during builds that matter, it is the luck during play and the decision they make that matter (a Non-Killer DM borrowed one of my DM Dice, because he'd forgotten his, he wasn't trying to kill anyone, he was just giving us a modest challenging encounter, but kept rolling 20, despite three silvery barbs and two lucky points from three allies trying to save the fighter, Multi Attack 1: 20, Silvery Barbs 1 to 20, Silvery Barbs to 20, Lucky to 20, Attack 2 20, Silvery Barbs 3, Lucky 2 to 19... DM apologized, Fighter went down hard, thankfully also rolled a 20 on his first Death Save, and then was given a potion by the Rogue)... Yes, there are many good or great DMs that don't feel the need to do this, but sadly there are numerous that think they are not DMing right if they aren't killing players, and they always point to Adventure League as where they learned that mentality, because "Adventure League" is about crippling players with weak stats and weak uniformity while making every encounter super deadly so the DMs are always killing the characters.  

Thanks for the thoughtful reply and background experiences as well as how you DM at your table, sounds like a good table to be rolling dice with. 

For @RayofFrost918 Gen Con is an annual US event in Indianapolis, IN. For Canadian events, ChatGPT suggested Falcon in Calgary or Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. 

Quote from Perringaiden >>

Need to do the same thing in other countries (like Australia for me).  I can't justify flying into the US (not just cost, but all the other nonsense) just to get access to LoG games etc.

same its so annoying.

*go bluey*

The standard array and point buy is to ensure fairness and remove randomness. It’s also set to a number to allow for players to grow over time and not be “Hercules” at lvl 1.

btw no where does the game or has it ever been that heroes are Hercules at lvl 1. 

I think you’re assumptions about the game are flawed.

nothing “corrupt” about standard array. 

I play by point buy or standard array. I agree that those that roll typically nerf the system at which the game is designed. (Ironically, in Descent to Avernus the first enemies you fight in the first dungeon all have plate equivalent armor and at the players level 2. And one of the npcs is level five. Lots of DM prep in that game.) However, the old DnD games, under previous ownership, used roll for stats for everything. Personally, either the system accounts for the player or the player accounts for the system. The DM prep work, in the example of descent to avernus, kinda undermines the point buy and standard array. 

I look at it like this. I consider dungeons and dragons to be non epic, just a little beyond a standard human conditioning. ie Someone who is very active and hardly tired. Perhaps a 20 somethings (age) type. Even at higher levels you are not that impressive power wise. In BG3 for example most the players destroying the game have to do a LOT of activity to over accomplish their missions. Otherwise its a pretty standard hero. Say, a roman gladiator or a roman soldier. Nothing epic. 

Personally, id like a character levelling system that didnt have an 'end'. Levelling to me means you are getting closer to the finish line. DnD Online does a pretty good job at continuing your character through higher levels without actually 'ending the cap'. 

But, I think having a system that allows you to age with a campaign and degenerate over a very long time, like your game could last for as long as you live in real life or it can end after 100 years in game (a couple months or a couple years) dependent upon your personal scope and the scope they endeavor the adventure-campaign to last. 

I add a tremendous amount of 'downtime' activity to make the world more living and breathing. I want my characters to bridge the gap between campaigns. I want my characters to do multiple campaigns. 

In the end, i think point buy and standard array are good because the characters are not much beyond normal human activity. They arent some world bending heros, other than wizards (in their own limited scope). As everyone always tries to emphasize. 

I think if you want world bending you play games like Champions or RIFTS. I like being a person with exceptional skills in a world limiting me by its authority and mostly realism..

Will the Forgotten Realms and Future of DDB panels be live streamed or will I have to wait for news sites or DDB people to share the info later?

Quote from Wrathamon >>

The standard array and point buy is to ensure fairness and remove randomness. It’s also set to a number to allow for players to grow over time and not be “Hercules” at lvl 1.

btw no where does the game or has it ever been that heroes are Hercules at lvl 1. 

I think you’re assumptions about the game are flawed.

nothing “corrupt” about standard array. 

 

 I agree, I either use point buy or standard array so the characters not like a wizard with 16 strength and 7 intelligence

I made a deal with my DM back in the 2E days for my character's three physical stats to be at maximum in exchange for my three mental stats being at minimum. The idea was to encourage our two follow-along style players to become more comfortable stepping forward and letting themselves take agency in the story. Everyone enjoyed the campaign especially since it had near limitless comedic potential, and we all considered the experiment a success. While I agree with you in general about the role of standardization in PC characters, sometimes flexibility in stats can create truly memorable character personalities and allow more teamwork opportunities in a party.

Can we get some updates? I havent gotten to see anything and I am eagerly awaiting something...