DM David Hartlage
@dmdavid.com
D&D design, advice, rules, and inspiration from your friend DM David. He/Him dmdavid.com
New post: How a Roleplaying Game like D&D Could Make Rounds Play Better
• Making retreat practical like in 1974
• "Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy"
• 6 seconds of simultaneous effects, just like AD&D
dmdavid.com/tag/rpg-desi...
• Making retreat practical like in 1974
• "Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy"
• 6 seconds of simultaneous effects, just like AD&D
dmdavid.com/tag/rpg-desi...
RPG Design: How a Roleplaying Game like D&D Could Make Rounds Play Better
Since D&D dropped the declaration phase in favor of cyclic initiative, it has let one round blur into the next without any phases that trigger between rounds. Still, each round represents a sho…
dmdavid.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
New post: How a Roleplaying Game like D&D Could Make Rounds Play Better
• Making retreat practical like in 1974
• "Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy"
• 6 seconds of simultaneous effects, just like AD&D
dmdavid.com/tag/rpg-desi...
• Making retreat practical like in 1974
• "Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy"
• 6 seconds of simultaneous effects, just like AD&D
dmdavid.com/tag/rpg-desi...
My Winter Fantasy judging schedule
Feb 07 - Saturday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (2PM - 6PM) Grim Hollow #5 - Requiem for the Living
Feb 08 - Sunday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #6 - Worse than the Disease
Feb 08 - Sunday (1PM - 5PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (2PM - 6PM) Grim Hollow #5 - Requiem for the Living
Feb 08 - Sunday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #6 - Worse than the Disease
Feb 08 - Sunday (1PM - 5PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
December 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM
My Winter Fantasy judging schedule
Feb 07 - Saturday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (2PM - 6PM) Grim Hollow #5 - Requiem for the Living
Feb 08 - Sunday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #6 - Worse than the Disease
Feb 08 - Sunday (1PM - 5PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Feb 07 - Saturday (2PM - 6PM) Grim Hollow #5 - Requiem for the Living
Feb 08 - Sunday (9AM - 1PM) Grim Hollow #6 - Worse than the Disease
Feb 08 - Sunday (1PM - 5PM) Grim Hollow #7 - Blood & Poison
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
If you are curious about running Draw Steel and are hesitant to get in the system, I recommend this discussion between @d20play.bsky.social and @dmdavid.com
Tom has put a lot of time and effort into the system and has some valuable insight into running Draw Steel.
Tom has put a lot of time and effort into the system and has some valuable insight into running Draw Steel.
d20play Live 90 Learning to Run Draw Steel
YouTube video by d20play
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:47 PM
If you are curious about running Draw Steel and are hesitant to get in the system, I recommend this discussion between @d20play.bsky.social and @dmdavid.com
Tom has put a lot of time and effort into the system and has some valuable insight into running Draw Steel.
Tom has put a lot of time and effort into the system and has some valuable insight into running Draw Steel.
Grammar mavens: Should I be writing, "The fifth-edition designers opted to skip all that rules baggage," with or without the hyphen?
December 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Grammar mavens: Should I be writing, "The fifth-edition designers opted to skip all that rules baggage," with or without the hyphen?
New post: Making the most of cyclic turn order in games Like D&D and Pathfinder. dmdavid.com/tag/making-t...
Making the Most of Cyclic Turn Order in Games Like D&D and Pathfinder
My post Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them? compared the two most common methods for setting turn order, player-driven and …
dmdavid.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM
New post: Making the most of cyclic turn order in games Like D&D and Pathfinder. dmdavid.com/tag/making-t...
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
My group started our #Dragonbane mini-campaign last week. Here are some thoughts and highlights (very mild spoilers).
#ttrpg #dnd
#ttrpg #dnd
December 14, 2025 at 8:12 AM
My group started our #Dragonbane mini-campaign last week. Here are some thoughts and highlights (very mild spoilers).
#ttrpg #dnd
#ttrpg #dnd
My new discovery in the AD&D DMG: Gary explains hp and poison saves.
"Damage is not actually sustained—at least in proportion to the number of hit points marked off in most cases. The so called damage is the expenditure of favor from deities, luck, skill, and perhaps a scratch." (1/3)
"Damage is not actually sustained—at least in proportion to the number of hit points marked off in most cases. The so called damage is the expenditure of favor from deities, luck, skill, and perhaps a scratch." (1/3)
December 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
My new discovery in the AD&D DMG: Gary explains hp and poison saves.
"Damage is not actually sustained—at least in proportion to the number of hit points marked off in most cases. The so called damage is the expenditure of favor from deities, luck, skill, and perhaps a scratch." (1/3)
"Damage is not actually sustained—at least in proportion to the number of hit points marked off in most cases. The so called damage is the expenditure of favor from deities, luck, skill, and perhaps a scratch." (1/3)
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
Turns out that Steve Perrin is behind the initiative rules in Holmes Basic and thus cyclic initiative in 3E
Games with player-driven turn orders like Draw Steel and Daggerheart have had me thinking.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
How D&D Got an Initiative System Rooted in California House Rules
Some groups playing first-edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons might have run initiative by the book, but with the incomprehensible rules text, no one knew for sure. Besides, the full rules prov…
dmdavid.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Turns out that Steve Perrin is behind the initiative rules in Holmes Basic and thus cyclic initiative in 3E
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
This classic RuneQuest/Glorantha supplement changed the way I design RPGs. The "cult initiate" concept in RQ became the "wizards' houses" of Ars Magica, then Vampire's clans, then all the factions in the '90s-era RPGs. Hard to part with.
Lots of old stuff on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Lots of old stuff on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
December 9, 2025 at 7:02 PM
This classic RuneQuest/Glorantha supplement changed the way I design RPGs. The "cult initiate" concept in RQ became the "wizards' houses" of Ars Magica, then Vampire's clans, then all the factions in the '90s-era RPGs. Hard to part with.
Lots of old stuff on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Lots of old stuff on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
Interesting read as always from David!
I keep coming back to the fact that two of #dnd 5e's three pillars of play (exploration and social interaction) use "player-driven" turn order and everyone's fine with it, yet when a game tries
it for combat, some folks just totally lose their s***.
I keep coming back to the fact that two of #dnd 5e's three pillars of play (exploration and social interaction) use "player-driven" turn order and everyone's fine with it, yet when a game tries
it for combat, some folks just totally lose their s***.
New post: Making the best of roleplaying games like Draw Steel and Daggerheart with player-driven turn orders
Making the Best of Roleplaying Games Like Draw Steel and Daggerheart With Player-Driven Turn Orders
The post Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them? compared the two most common methods for setting turn order, player-driven and…
dmdavid.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Interesting read as always from David!
I keep coming back to the fact that two of #dnd 5e's three pillars of play (exploration and social interaction) use "player-driven" turn order and everyone's fine with it, yet when a game tries
it for combat, some folks just totally lose their s***.
I keep coming back to the fact that two of #dnd 5e's three pillars of play (exploration and social interaction) use "player-driven" turn order and everyone's fine with it, yet when a game tries
it for combat, some folks just totally lose their s***.
New post: Making the best of roleplaying games like Draw Steel and Daggerheart with player-driven turn orders
Making the Best of Roleplaying Games Like Draw Steel and Daggerheart With Player-Driven Turn Orders
The post Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them? compared the two most common methods for setting turn order, player-driven and…
dmdavid.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
New post: Making the best of roleplaying games like Draw Steel and Daggerheart with player-driven turn orders
If you have a wand of magic missiles with 7 charges and a DM who lets you pass it from character to character, then you can fire 21 missiles in a round. If you just fire once with all charges, then you only get 9. Work for hirelings?
(Check out my latest post on the awkward necessity of turns.)
(Check out my latest post on the awkward necessity of turns.)
December 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
If you have a wand of magic missiles with 7 charges and a DM who lets you pass it from character to character, then you can fire 21 missiles in a round. If you just fire once with all charges, then you only get 9. Work for hirelings?
(Check out my latest post on the awkward necessity of turns.)
(Check out my latest post on the awkward necessity of turns.)
Recently, I saw a post name a cinematic martial arts RPG with a dialogue phase that gave combatants time to threaten, banter, and so on.
Now I can’t find the post or remember the name of the game. Can anyone help me out?
Now I can’t find the post or remember the name of the game. Can anyone help me out?
December 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Recently, I saw a post name a cinematic martial arts RPG with a dialogue phase that gave combatants time to threaten, banter, and so on.
Now I can’t find the post or remember the name of the game. Can anyone help me out?
Now I can’t find the post or remember the name of the game. Can anyone help me out?
Reposted by DM David Hartlage
Talking about initiative in TTRPGs with @dmdavid.com tomorrow night. What is the best way?
youtube.com/live/idJP7L6...
youtube.com/live/idJP7L6...
d20play Live 88 ROLL FOR INITIATIVE What is the Best Way
There are as many ways to do initiative as there are TTRPGs. What is the best way?
The BEST D&D Quick Reference: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/493865/2024-DD-Quick-Reference-Sheets?affiliate_id=46...
youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Talking about initiative in TTRPGs with @dmdavid.com tomorrow night. What is the best way?
youtube.com/live/idJP7L6...
youtube.com/live/idJP7L6...
New post: Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them? dmdavid.com/tag/turns-an...
Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them?
What rates as the most exciting phrase spoken in a Dungeons & Dragons game? “Roll for initiative.” What rates as the most unwelcome task? After those three words, the minutes of bookkeeping req…
dmdavid.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:24 PM
New post: Turns and Turn Order Are the Worst, so Why Do Roleplaying Games Make Us Spend So Much Time Deliberating Them? dmdavid.com/tag/turns-an...
When a character attempts an action and then rolls the dice, does the roll tell how well the character performs and nothing more, or can the roll reveal something about the world?
Monte Cook breaks down an essential concept for RPG designers and GMs. montecook.substack.com/p/roll-the-d...
Monte Cook breaks down an essential concept for RPG designers and GMs. montecook.substack.com/p/roll-the-d...
Roll the Dice and See
Today we’re going to talk about dice.
montecook.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
When a character attempts an action and then rolls the dice, does the roll tell how well the character performs and nothing more, or can the roll reveal something about the world?
Monte Cook breaks down an essential concept for RPG designers and GMs. montecook.substack.com/p/roll-the-d...
Monte Cook breaks down an essential concept for RPG designers and GMs. montecook.substack.com/p/roll-the-d...
(Still contemplating turn orders in TTRPGs.)
I've played some Savage Worlds and fail to get the appeal of random way it sets turn order: Deal standard playing cards and take turns by card rank. Repeat each round.
Seems like a lot of ceremony just for maximum randomness. What's the appeal?
I've played some Savage Worlds and fail to get the appeal of random way it sets turn order: Deal standard playing cards and take turns by card rank. Repeat each round.
Seems like a lot of ceremony just for maximum randomness. What's the appeal?
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
(Still contemplating turn orders in TTRPGs.)
I've played some Savage Worlds and fail to get the appeal of random way it sets turn order: Deal standard playing cards and take turns by card rank. Repeat each round.
Seems like a lot of ceremony just for maximum randomness. What's the appeal?
I've played some Savage Worlds and fail to get the appeal of random way it sets turn order: Deal standard playing cards and take turns by card rank. Repeat each round.
Seems like a lot of ceremony just for maximum randomness. What's the appeal?
Even if I didn't like Draw Steel, I would want to run it at the table just to build and use this incredible initiative tracking system @alphastream.bsky.social invented. alphastream.org/index.php/20...
My New Initiative Tracking System for the Draw Steel RPG
I get crafty and find an excellent way to track initiative in Draw Steel. I share how I made it, so you can too!
alphastream.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Even if I didn't like Draw Steel, I would want to run it at the table just to build and use this incredible initiative tracking system @alphastream.bsky.social invented. alphastream.org/index.php/20...
Games with player-driven turn orders like Draw Steel and Daggerheart have had me thinking.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
How D&D Got an Initiative System Rooted in California House Rules
Some groups playing first-edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons might have run initiative by the book, but with the incomprehensible rules text, no one knew for sure. Besides, the full rules prov…
dmdavid.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Games with player-driven turn orders like Draw Steel and Daggerheart have had me thinking.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
I paged to Combat Sequence in 13th Age 2E. “Jonathan introduced cyclic initiative to F20 gaming 25 years ago and we are never going back.”
Opinionated. I like it.
Look what arrived on my doorstep.
November 21, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Look what arrived on my doorstep.
People new to TTRPGs, especially kids, get excited by a game where they can try anything and watch the consequences.
Forget archery contests and carnival games for intro adventures; everyone's played games with rolls and outcomes. I want scenes with choices and consequences.
Forget archery contests and carnival games for intro adventures; everyone's played games with rolls and outcomes. I want scenes with choices and consequences.
November 19, 2025 at 5:05 PM
People new to TTRPGs, especially kids, get excited by a game where they can try anything and watch the consequences.
Forget archery contests and carnival games for intro adventures; everyone's played games with rolls and outcomes. I want scenes with choices and consequences.
Forget archery contests and carnival games for intro adventures; everyone's played games with rolls and outcomes. I want scenes with choices and consequences.
In games with player-driven turn orders like Daggerheart and Draw Steel, what's your best suggestion for keeping play brisk? youtu.be/vy5LlRbKFFM
After you!
YouTube video by Kameon Quillen
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
In games with player-driven turn orders like Daggerheart and Draw Steel, what's your best suggestion for keeping play brisk? youtu.be/vy5LlRbKFFM
I’m a huge fan of this technique for introducing characters during an adventure’s imagined opening credits. Very fun and memorable!
Players who’ve never seen the A-Team often know the Borderlands games that use the same style. youtu.be/oYZmpMIwZss
Players who’ve never seen the A-Team often know the Borderlands games that use the same style. youtu.be/oYZmpMIwZss
My Go-To Technique for RPG Character Intros!
YouTube video by Alphastream
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
I’m a huge fan of this technique for introducing characters during an adventure’s imagined opening credits. Very fun and memorable!
Players who’ve never seen the A-Team often know the Borderlands games that use the same style. youtu.be/oYZmpMIwZss
Players who’ve never seen the A-Team often know the Borderlands games that use the same style. youtu.be/oYZmpMIwZss
In an real fight, everyone acts at the same time. Burning Wheel reflects simultaneous activity by resolving every action before applying all results at once. Results include wounded, killed, unbalanced, or knocked prone.
This strikes me as brilliant and perhaps too different from what I'm used to.
This strikes me as brilliant and perhaps too different from what I'm used to.
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
In an real fight, everyone acts at the same time. Burning Wheel reflects simultaneous activity by resolving every action before applying all results at once. Results include wounded, killed, unbalanced, or knocked prone.
This strikes me as brilliant and perhaps too different from what I'm used to.
This strikes me as brilliant and perhaps too different from what I'm used to.
What the D&D 2024 Alert feat feels like to me.
Black Bart goes for his gun, his gang raises weapons, and then the heroes take a time out to discuss who should have the quickest draw today.
Black Bart goes for his gun, his gang raises weapons, and then the heroes take a time out to discuss who should have the quickest draw today.
November 9, 2025 at 4:08 PM
What the D&D 2024 Alert feat feels like to me.
Black Bart goes for his gun, his gang raises weapons, and then the heroes take a time out to discuss who should have the quickest draw today.
Black Bart goes for his gun, his gang raises weapons, and then the heroes take a time out to discuss who should have the quickest draw today.