Quotes

I haven't mentioned it, but I love the Links to Wisdom wiki.  It allows for innovative, interesting ideas to bubble up and be noticed and it's done in a way that allows for even completely contradictory approaches to the game to be side by side.  (It's only weakness is that it is only links. Read that stuff and if you like something save a copy).

So, I've been digging back through the intellectual rat's nest that is my hard drive looking for things to post there.  I have a suspicion that I've already forgotten some cool blog posts I read, but I did post some links to stuff I found really intriguing.

I also found a bunch of text files with quotes.  There doesn't seem to be a place for them on the wiki, so I thought I might post them here.  No particular order or mission, just things people in the blogosphere wrote that struck me enough to save:

"I have no interest in the "comfort" of having a few simple choices or a pre-generated premise. I have an interest in investing creativity in character creation (if I feel like it) or in strategy (if I feel like that instead) or in world-building (if I feel like that) or in role-playing (if I feel like that). I am not into D&D because it is limiting, I'm into it because if I choose to neglect one aspect of RPGing, the game swells to fill the gap, leaving me free to concentrate my energy wherever I want." – ZakS

"The D&D is that is almost not D&D is the true D&D" – Chris, Vaults of Nagoh                      

"Yes, if I had to identify a general tendency over time for designers to make changes it would be to rationalize and codify, smoothing away complexity – which does involve an abstract perspective that places concept over play experience. Players’ changes either tend to simplify and discard (ignoring encumbrance, speed factors, weapon vs. AC, etc.) or to make PCs more durable (allowing death at negative HP instead of 0, fudging rolls)." – Tavis Allison

What do you do with 3d6-in-order when you want to play a Paladin?

"   Ideally you experience an epiphany (perhaps involving swelling orchestra music, an angelic choir and/or a beam of pure radiance) wherein you realize that "wanting to play X" is completely incompatible with 3d6 in order. Instead, your heart is opened to the joy of playing the infinitely possible characters available to you, one of whom will eventually soldify out of the quantum foam when you throw the dice. With your new Buddha-like grace you simply play the character you roll.

    Personally I loathe all the canonical cheating methods. I think there are two and exactly two legit ways to generate scores for D&D characters:

    1) 3d6 in order
    2) write down whatever numbers you like

    Anybody stuck on "wants to play a X" should be using the second method. I've used this method before. One guy wrote down all 18's, including 18/00 Str. Somehow, we all survived the experience." – Jeff Rients  March 31, 2011 2:00 PM

"It's not D&D's fault that its character classes are mostly taken from stories of solo heroics and picaresque capers, while its overarching conceit is Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring. Without the Big Quest a party of Conans, Grey Mousers, Rhialtos and Holger Carlsens is going to fall apart if each of them pursues their character destiny." – Roger the GS

 "  I think D&D works like this: the rules, setting, and DM are relatively serious (or at least intense) so you--the player--don't have to be. You can be drunk and play the goofiest half-troll half-gnome bard in the world and the game will keep chugging along and being a game full of twists and challenges and unexpected delights for all (including the drunk gnome) because it's pre-loaded with serious business." – ZakS                                    

"    I agree with this assessment. As long as the DM is taking the game seriously the players can fart around in several different ways and you still have a game of D&D. N.B. Taking the game seriously is not the same as being a humorless prick. That's taking yourself seriously, which is not helpful." – Jeff Rients

     "Heh. I’ve been known to say this in defense of 3e: It showed me what I want by giving me what I thought I wanted. (^_^)" – Robert Fisher April 20, 2008 3:27 PM

What is the Best Beginner Module?

"    Young or adult players? New or experienced DM? I see at least 4 possible ideal starter modules.

young players, new DM = Search for the Unknown (great advice for DMs)
young players, experienced DM = Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (every kid needs to learn the lessons taught by Scooby Doo)
adult players, new DM = Hommlet (superior social environ, simple but challenging dungeon)
adult players, experienced DM = Keep (multidimensional, open-form social, dungeon and wilderness) " – Jeff Reints June 22, 2010 3:50 PM