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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

The BECMI Thief class was where it all starting going wrong in DnD. Okay, not really ... but kind of. Hear me out! One of the more fun articles I've written in a long time. www.optionalrule.com/2026/06/03/i...

optionalrule.com

I blame the BECMI Thief class for all of DnD's problems | Optional Rule

How the BECMI Thief turned shared player ingenuity into one class's dice roll, and quietly traded D&D's player agency for character permissions.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

It adds an interesting dimension, as does puttling all enemies out on a map (hidden) when setting up a dungon as it lets me run the encounter in a more holistic ways. What I'd really love is some kind of ping to help determine how far sounds should carry.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Cheese should have magical properties in DnD.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Fleeing in DnD doesn't usually go well for anyone.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Don't pay your taxes sometime and see how much you "own" anything.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

The second article was posted by OpenAI yesterday and features their 'Econmic Blueprint' for the future. OpenAI frightens me because I think they're probably right in their thinking, but will be distopian in the execution. 3/3 openai.com/global-affai...

openai.com

OpenAI’s Economic Blueprint

The Blueprint outlines policy proposals for how the US can maximize AI’s benefits, bolster national security, and drive economic growth

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

I believe these are the two most significant articles about the advancement of AI in a global society out. I believe these are the closest to what will happen, though that is fuzzy at best. Note I say will happen, not what I want to happen. Articles in thread. 1/3

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

If Aliens landed on the UN Headquarters offering advanced tech. How long would it take before you saw any tangible difference in everyone's?

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

My first computer was a C64 my mother picked up for me and my brother to share. A few years later, I joined the Army and debated getting an Amiga but ended up getting an IMB 8088 PC. Been building my own PCs ever since. What was your path?

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

The moster types sound fun. I can't really get past the PHB design still. It still feels like one notch too much, and the game runs too slow

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

This whole post going back to examine the original intent of spells in DnD is very interesting. Odyssey is shaping up to be a very refreshing take on the game and I recommend checking it out.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Hmmm, I had no idea there was a new Black Company TTRPG being developed by the same folks who created Delta Green. I'm definitly interested. theblackcompanyrpg.com

theblackcompanyrpg.com

The Black Company Roleplaying Game

Coming from Arc Dream Publishing. Based on Glen Cook’s novels of soldiers and sorcery.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Do you think Starcitizen will be finished with AI, or do you think AI gamedev will leap frog it and make games far beyond it before it ever releases?

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

A diagram of how I handle grid combat while mounted in 5e. Opportunity attacks still apply so reach weapons can be very important. Green is 5' reach, yellow 10' reach. How do you handle it in your DnD game?

Combat grid for DnD showing reach zones for mounted combat.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

From the 2010 RPG The Laundry by Cruciple 7. A Paranoia like TTRPG. Proof we are living in a Parody.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Sure. I suppose that's true. In game purchases is a very short step away. There's been a proliforation of online gambing in general that I'm sad to see, even sadder still to see it increasing in the TTRPG space.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Technically they announced it on the 5th of Dec. I'm just slow to the mark. :)

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Yeah. So Hasbro is apparently going to release phone gambling apps using the DnD IP. I've always thought MtG was already gambling and unethical AF. What's the level above unethical AF? gamesglobal.com/Media/Games_...

gamesglobal.com

Games Global

Games Global Limited is a new supplier to the industry - delivering force and direction to online gaming. Bringing together some of iGaming's biggest and brightest stars, the Games Global portfolio is...

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Kingdom Come Deliverance is free on the Epic Gamestore right now. I highly recommend this game. It's one of the best medieval rpgs to come out period.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Happy New Year everyone. I hope your year is full of exciting TTRPGs that ignite your imagination and build friendships new and old.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

My best Eberron adventure used a lost '13th month' where time stopped and spirits - each born from the year's deeds, regrets, and triumphs - returned to confront the living. Players unraveled both temporal magic and the weight of actions past. What are your New Year's adventures!

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

This is absolutly my wish for Fighters in 5e. They should all have Battle Mastery. I'm not sure if proficiency works differently as a BAB in your retrofit, Rogues have a much higher prof than fighter, does that mean they have a higher BAB?

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

My reading list this year was pretty sad. My top 5 books for 2024 are below, what were yours? (I no order) * Wind and Truth * Parasitic Mind * Utopia for Realists * Nexus * The Power of Now

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

TTRPG wise, this has been a pretty dry year for me too. These are my top 5 TTRPGs played in 2024. What are yours? 1. Shadowdark 2. Star Wars D6 3. DnD 2024 4. Traveller 5. Cyberpunk Red

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

This was probably the worse year of video games in quiet awhile for me. These are the top 5 games I played most in 2024, what are yours? 1. Enshrouded 2. Return to Moria 3. Satisfactory 4. Nightingale 5. Tiny Glade

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

I felt like there are several sections of the new DMG that are straight up rip offs of 3rd party content. This is basically Return of the Lazy DM, Bastions is basically Strongholds and Followers, etc.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

I just do the lifestyle tally when they leave town, counting the days they've been there. I find that easier to track. Similarly, I don't track arrows and rations and just do a 'restock' fee when they hit town based on how long they were in the wilderness.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Then Disney must have learned a lot

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

DnD Tip: Monsters should be unpredictable. Never let the players get comfortable.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Party pooping puts 78 times the amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as gift giving.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Everyone is responsible for the game's quality at the table. Too many TTRPG players think they're there to consume entertainment. They're not. Every D&D player shares the responsibility of creating an amazing experience for their fellow players ... and DM.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

TTRPG Characters are just illusions we cling to, placeholders for the part of us that wants to be a heroic lunatic instead of a plain one.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

I really miss Jeff Easley’s era of DnD art. He did the iconic cover of the AD&D DMG, after all—and his work always had that distinct “stuff’s about to go down” vibe. I love this peace in particular.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Had a TPK in your DND campaign? Consider time-skipping forward. New characters arriving at the previous party's final battle site creates instant story hooks - their legacy becomes part of your TTRPG world's mythology, and every clue about their fate enriches your narrative.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

DnD Tip: When heavy emotional moments hit in TTRPGs - a tragic character choice, a PC's death - resist the urge to break the silence. Let the feelings breathe. These quiet spaces, where players process together, often become the most powerful memories at our table.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I stopped getting theses kinds of books awhile ago. The sound great but never get used.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

DnD DMs should never let the choice of hallways get in the way of a great encounter.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

One of the problems with how Bastions are presented in the #DnD DMG is that it's not a DM tool and not really worldbuilding. As presented, Bastions are an extension of character abilities, so what is the DM deciding here? I think that makes it odd to include in the DMG.

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Optional Rule @optionalrule.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

#DnD Character sheets are more than just a record. They're a statement about what kinds of action and adventure the players want to have. Just reading them should do a lot of the #TTRPG campaign design for you.

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