My new video is now live!

This one is on the Druid in early D&D, and the more I worked on it, the more it felt like the class is a bit strange, and not just because of its abilities. And, that was yet another piece in the puzzle of how early D&D really worked.

Watch now: youtu.be/0y95DI-XEsA

My new video is about why early D&D dungeons could look random on the page, but still worked at the table. I get into how dungeon crawling actually functioned in early D&D, and why those old designs made more sense in play than they sometimes do in hindsight.

youtu.be/lVcPLnZBg3s

✨👕Day 197 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! A week late! And another gift from Mrs. "You Have Too Many T-Shirts" Rolled a 1!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social, & EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

My new video is about 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. To me, a lot of the usual criticisms of old-school D&D have more to do with expectations than rules.

🎥 Watch the full deep-dive here: youtu.be/WMkraXjErcg

I’ve been looking at how balance works in early D&D, and it doesn’t really match the modern idea of fairness.

Uneven XP tables. Fragile low-level characters. No encounter balancing.

And yet, it works.

So what is the game actually balancing?

Check out the full deep-dive here: youtu.be/k3xCKeei-iA

I’ve been looking at how balance works in early D&D, and it doesn’t really match the modern idea of fairness.

Uneven XP tables. Fragile low-level characters. No encounter balancing.

And yet, it works.

So what is the game actually balancing?

Check out the full deep-dive here: youtu.be/k3xCKeei-iA

✨👕Day 196 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! This is from yesterday; my 3rd different Green Lantern t-shirt!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social, & EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

✨👕Day 195 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! Yes, this is from last week 03/23/2026. My daughter couldn't stop laughing!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social, & EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

It was unfortunately not me... I sadly never played that game back in the day. I do recall it's ine if your favorites you created.

"I've heard so many interpretations of these rules and they are all so different. I believe your explanation here is the most accurate on the internet right now."

Come check out my video to find out why this viewer said this. And, please share with your friends!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amt0...

"I've heard so many interpretations of these rules and they are all so different. I believe your explanation here is the most accurate on the internet right now."

Come check out my video to find out why this viewer said this. And, please share with your friends!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amt0...

Most people run AD&D combat the same way: roll initiative, attack, move on. And that works.

But the books include all these other rules that only show up in certain moments: weapon speed, armor adjustments, segments.

They’re not optional… so why are they there?

Find out now! youtu.be/Amt06YbR7nE

✨👕Day 194 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! I work at my friend's record store on Mondays but keep forgetting to post!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social, & EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

Make your old-school D&D wizards weird!

Strange masters. Odd spellbooks. Questionable magical habits.

I just released Weird Magic-User Traits, a small table-based supplement exploring ideas like that.

Available for patrons now: patreon.com/DaddyRolledA1

"This video makes an interesting point... While I always thought of Dragon as a magazine for fans/players of D&D, it also functioned as a trade magazine where designers, contributors and the 'inner circle' discussed and debated the game's designs, influences & philosophies."

Link in comments!

🤣🤣🤣

In 1979, AD&D was already on store shelves, but many players were still trying to figure out how the game actually worked at the table. I took a look at Dragon Magazine issues #23–25, where designers and readers debated combat rules and campaign play in real time.
🎥 youtu.be/1cipMmun90c

I am at the pub now (Tom Bergin's in Los Angeles celebrating their 90th St. Patrick's Day, and my 31st here). Started with an Irish Coffee and now drinking Guinness. For tonight's cocktail... well, you'll have to watch the Bonus Content from today's video which goes live in an hour!!!!

Make your old-school D&D wizards weird!

Strange masters. Odd spellbooks. Questionable magical habits.

I just released Weird Magic-User Traits, a small table-based supplement exploring ideas like that.

Available for patrons now: patreon.com/DaddyRolledA1

✨👕Day 193 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! You probably all know I'm a jazz nerd... this was 1 of Chet Baker's labels!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social, & EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

In 3.5 it looked like Cthulhu

I feel that you need to start that game company!

I love your bow tie collection! Have you counted how many you own?

Cheers! My friend and I are going to dig into his new Death & Company cocktail book later this evening to see if we can make something we haven't had before.

This past Wednesday, I bartended at a signing at my local comic book store. It was a lot of fun!

In 1983 Gary Gygax wrote 2 unusual AD&D modules: Dungeonland & The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror.

They look like Alice in Wonderland adventures, but they reveal a lot about how he designed his Castle Greyhawk campaign.

My new video takes a closer look: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h8d...

In 1983 Gary Gygax wrote 2 unusual AD&D modules: Dungeonland & The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror.

They look like Alice in Wonderland adventures, but they reveal a lot about how he designed his Castle Greyhawk campaign.

My new video takes a closer look: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h8d...

✨👕Day 192 of Nerd Fashion Monday of non-repeated geek shirts! Forgot to post earlier this week! This is from the Dead Rabbit, a favorite NYC pub!

@worldofcorde.bsky.social, @grinningpik.bsky.social,
& EVERYONE ELSE, share YOUR nerd fashion! I love to put names with faces!

#NerdFashionMonday

Thank you!

Thank you so much, Seth! I really appreciate it!

BTW, your video review of I6: Ravenloft really helped me a few weeks ago when I ran it as a one-shot for a friend's birthday. So, thanks for that, as well. Cheers!

Thank you so much!