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Day-Based & Encounter-Based: It's Not Balance, It's Playstyle
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<blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5977631" data-attributes="member: 2067"><p>Sure. And how do you decide what it is? How do you decide how many goblins live in the lair? How do you decide what traps the tomb is full of? How do you decide how the DC and number of successes necessary to have successful diplomacy with a dragon?</p><p></p><p>You might be a good enough DM to go with "what makes sense," but that's a DMing skill honed by practice, not something everyone has or does equally, so there should be rules for those who can't do it based just on that. Rules you can then ignore (without breaking the game, if it is well designed!) as you go with whatever makes sense to you. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Sure. But whether you're sneaking past the ogre, or killing it with swords, or recruiting it to your side, you're overcoming a challenge. These challenges might even have different XP values, since they may be of varying difficulty or complexity! And if you can account for the danger they pose to the party, you can build your own adventure without having to be an old hand at the thing already.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I agree, but I don't think it'll be that fine-tuned. 300 XP might be a rough target. 350 XP might be a bit tougher. 600 XP might tend to take two days, but a skilled and/or lucky party might cut through it in one. The balance need not be precise to serve as a useful guide. </p><p></p><p></p><p>That's true, but a lot of people who play D&D don't want to bother with the gradual attrition, and they probably shouldn't have to.</p><p></p><p>I prefer a gradual attrition myself (and I think it's a little more "traditional D&D"), but it's actually not too hard for both playstyles to exist under one game's umbrella. You and I can have our gradual wear-downs, AND folks who appreciate a more scene-based approach don't have to worry about it. All it means is making sure the party can't ruin an individual encounter with a certain effect, and that each party member can add to each encounter in some way. And that's not, in my mind, a horrible price to pay, assuming it's done smart.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="I'm A Banana, post: 5977631, member: 2067"] Sure. And how do you decide what it is? How do you decide how many goblins live in the lair? How do you decide what traps the tomb is full of? How do you decide how the DC and number of successes necessary to have successful diplomacy with a dragon? You might be a good enough DM to go with "what makes sense," but that's a DMing skill honed by practice, not something everyone has or does equally, so there should be rules for those who can't do it based just on that. Rules you can then ignore (without breaking the game, if it is well designed!) as you go with whatever makes sense to you. ;) Sure. But whether you're sneaking past the ogre, or killing it with swords, or recruiting it to your side, you're overcoming a challenge. These challenges might even have different XP values, since they may be of varying difficulty or complexity! And if you can account for the danger they pose to the party, you can build your own adventure without having to be an old hand at the thing already. I agree, but I don't think it'll be that fine-tuned. 300 XP might be a rough target. 350 XP might be a bit tougher. 600 XP might tend to take two days, but a skilled and/or lucky party might cut through it in one. The balance need not be precise to serve as a useful guide. That's true, but a lot of people who play D&D don't want to bother with the gradual attrition, and they probably shouldn't have to. I prefer a gradual attrition myself (and I think it's a little more "traditional D&D"), but it's actually not too hard for both playstyles to exist under one game's umbrella. You and I can have our gradual wear-downs, AND folks who appreciate a more scene-based approach don't have to worry about it. All it means is making sure the party can't ruin an individual encounter with a certain effect, and that each party member can add to each encounter in some way. And that's not, in my mind, a horrible price to pay, assuming it's done smart. [/QUOTE]
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