W. F. Smith 11/29/24 W. F. Smith 11/29/24

It’s the Barter Economy, Stupid

Rules for abstract wealth, abstract supply, reputation, bartering, carousing, starvation, and random treasure in dungeons, and how all of these rules come together to form a cohesive whole.

W. F. Smith 2/13/24 W. F. Smith 2/13/24

Potion Clues

Advice for identifying the potions you find in dungeons, ideally before quaffing them.

W. F. Smith 7/18/23 W. F. Smith 7/18/23

Shopping in D&D is Garbage, And How to Fix It

Don’t let shopping for gear be a chore. Make it part of the game with this Yahtzee inspired shopping minigame.

W. F. Smith 8/15/22 W. F. Smith 8/15/22

Shopping, Listing, Picking and Gambling

I evaluate the various methods of equipping starting characters based on the goals of player agency, speed and randomness.

W. F. Smith 4/1/21 W. F. Smith 4/1/21

Bury Your Gold: On Abstract Wealth

In which I express dissatisfaction with the standard counting-gold-coins mechanic and suggest an alternative in the form of abstracted Wealth, Reputation and Supply.

W. F. Smith 1/4/21 W. F. Smith 1/4/21

Don’t List Out Gear

How to fit 3,200 random items on a single page.