Here we present Player’s Handbook Heroes-Origins, a retrostat of the post-original edition heroes for use in your ‘1.0’ games. While I certainly had a major hand in these designs, credit goes to two crusaders, Matt Kempe and Peter Scott, for keeping the ‘1.0 projects’ going forward. I hope that all of you are happy with the general 1.0 feel of these dedicated 2.0 pieces.

For 2011, items will continue to develop into an important part of the DDM skirmish game, just as they are staples of the RPG. The current rules constrain how we can design and distribute items, and I’ve long felt that, at least for organized play, we need to look at alternative implementations of the item rules. To this end, I’d like to preview, and beta test, this new item rule that could be used for the upcoming constructed season. Here is a snippet from one version under consideration.

Ever since 2005’s release of Archfiends, D&D Miniatures players have had a bit of a love affair with Summoning powers. The idea of setting aside a variety of figures that could be used in various situations, surrounding the enemy with them, and squeezing? Timmy, Johnny, and even Spike find something to love in the idea.

Several figures in the revised edition have hinted at summoning, but until recently, the designers have been careful—as the Summoning mechanics in the original edition showed, Summoning could easily become over-powered or be lamely underpowered.

Greetings and Salutations, plastic addicts. Welcome to Savage Encounters previews! There’s a lot of goodness in this set, and I had a lot of fun working on it.

During my previews, I like to talk about design and thought processes—today, I am going to discuss design tendencies. All of us designers have certain strengths and weaknesses, and this is one reason designing as a team is so important. Each member can help point out and shore up weaknesses and tendencies that the others have.