(White Dwarf #35 & #36)
I’m combining two articles to wrap up the Lew Pulsipher articles I picked out to read. High hopes!
What’s it about?
In Monsters & Magic, Lew advises against random monster and magic item placement. Avoid homogenous monster groups—balance encounters as you would a party. Consider how monsters interact—slaves, allies, enemies—and place them accordingly. Intelligent monsters should use light to see beyond infravision. While you can kill PCs anytime, that’s not the point - stick to the game's increasing level of difficulty inherent in the dungeon. Monsters should use their magic items, not stash them in chests, and magic should be rare to prevent PCs becoming overpowered headaches. Lastly, don’t be too generous with spell interpretations—high-level magic-users can dominate if unchecked.
In Some Conclusions he reiterates that monsters can do whatever players do. Don’t expect player self-restraint—rein them in. If an item or ability unbalances the game, talk to the player and persuade them to give it up. He also pushes for high-level characters to retire into landownership, then spends too much time discussing ways to get people to stop playing high-level PCs. Clearly, high-level play isn’t his thing, but actively discouraging it seems unnecessary.
Is this a keeper?
Yes—Monsters & Magic is the stronger article, but neither is a “best of.” Too much focus on dismissing high-level play. You can see the groundwork for his Beyond the Rule Book – Procedure and Style Tips, which is the better read.
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