D&D General When do you overrule RAW?

[James Gasik]

In 5e, specifically, the DM narrates the results, of player actions, yes.


Since 3e, D&D has prettymuch let players describe things about their characters as they like. So even if there were a visual image, it wouldn't be unfair to substitute another. Conversely, if there were a specific image, it would doubtless also be used as grounds to deny the use of the feat.

Sentinel says "You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard" - so, I suppose that covers just about anything you might do. The Kaiju steps over your character, leaving vulnerable spot exposed, you stab it, it rears back in pain and surprise - damage, 0 movement for the rest of the turn. Doesn't seem hard to come up with.

Really, the only thing implausible about all that is the Kaiju ever having it's guard up against such a relatively small foe, in the first place. It'd've been as reasonble to have ruled her able to use Sentinel every round she stayed adjacent to the Kaiju, and just driven it crazy until it finally took the trouble to stomp her flat.

That bit about the Kaiju stepping over you made me think of that scene in The Barbarians, where the brothers wait in a hole for a linnorm to crawl over them, then stabbed it from below.

 

[James Gasik]

How very...narrative.

There's something like this in Fantasy Craft as well, where you can gain bonuses when facing more deadly foes.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The game is emulating those inspirational stories. It says so right in the books. There's nothing wrong with modifying the game to not do that of course. That's totally reasonable, if more work than it would be to just pick a game that actually does what you want out of the box. What's strange to me is using 5E anyway and trying to convince the players to pretend they don't have 200 hit points, while still throwing giants and dragons at them.

It makes no sense to me to use a wrench as a hammer when there is a hardware store next door.

People use 5e for reasons other than it's the best game for what the GM wants.

 

[MGibster]

When it comes to any kind of rules adjudication, I tend to favor the players over anything else. I am especially hesitant to rule in such a way as to be detrimental to a character during game play.

 

[overgeeked]

It is, and the PHB actually says as much in the sidebar on The Weave in Chapter 10. You will, however, get a lot of people who will happily refute this fact.

And it’s okay to let people be wrong. It only matters what the GM at your table says.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Isn't it up to the DM to describe the world to the players?

Can you imagine what it would look like?

 

[Micah Sweet]

It is, and the PHB actually says as much in the sidebar on The Weave in Chapter 10. You will, however, get a lot of people who will happily refute this fact.

I will happily refute it.

 

[James Gasik]

Can you imagine what it would look like?

"The massive beast lumbers towards you, entering the threatened area of your trusty polearm. With all your might, you slash the area between it's toes, giving it the equivalent of a nasty papercut which you immediately squeeze lemon juice onto. The creature halts it's movement to bellow in annoyance, as that really smarts!"

 

[Micah Sweet]

And it’s okay to let people be wrong. It only matters what the GM at your table says.

This I agree with.

 

[Pedantic]

There's something like this in Fantasy Craft as well, where you can gain bonuses when facing more deadly foes.

Are you talking about Dramatic Scenes? That allows the GM to more freely spend action dice to boost NPC actions, but turns on a lot of PC class abilities that specifically gear up to more effective versions, or only work during dramatic scenes.

Hard to call it anything but a narrative mechanic, given it's triggered by the GM announcing "this is a dramatic scene" or spending a bunch of action dice to upgrade a standard scene...and also, given it applies to FC's arbitrarily timed "scenes" in the first place.