D&D (2024) Do you plan to adopt D&D5.5One2024Redux?

[Faolyn]

But a particular game generally has a point of view on that subject (though they may not clearly state it in the text). 4e, for example, seemed to me to fall on the "mechanics first" side more than other editions if D&D. How a game falls on the spectrum affects the playing of it.

Which is why the mechanics are important for the game book, at least in D&D. Even in 5e, it's more mechanical than narrative.

I gave an example about exertion and maneuvers from Level Up on a different thread. No matter how you narrate your game, you're still going to need to be proficient in a tradition, high enough of a level to use the maneuver in question (and proficient in it as well), and have enough exertion to spend on it. It doesn't matter how much or how well you narrate--you can't use a maneuver if these four things aren't true.

For D&D, the mechanics come first.

If you want a game where the narrative comes first, you would either have to play a "who cares; just roll the dice" type of game--which is fine, but not "proper" D&D--or you'd have to play a PbtA-type game, or something like it.

 

[Lanefan]

I think knocking a gelatineous cube on the side borderlines cheating...

More seriously, I'd like to know how one can possibly knock a 10x10' cube of jelly on its side without getting stuck to or absorbed by it in the process.....

 

[Vaalingrade]

More seriously, I'd like to know how one can possibly knock a 10x10' cube of jelly on its side without getting stuck to or absorbed by it in the process.....

Insert sword

Stir vigorously.

 

[Faolyn]

I thought that was the one you wanted to avoid

No; I said I would work with the player to come up with a reason, or to work with me in coming up with the reason, rather than just give a blanket "nope, you're too far away."

In a game I'm in, the cleric (a githzerai) is reporting back to their superiors about suspected mind flayer activities. Their superiors are on another plane, of course. I have no idea how he's contacting them, either in or out of character, but he and the DM worked something out.

 

[Lanefan]

Sure, but are you saying this is a problem? Seems on par for interplanar travel.

Still means the background feature didn't exactly work as the player intended (in this case, the message arrived two weeks late by which time the party didn't need help any more), which seems to be non-grata if I'm interpreting your take correctly.

 

[Cadence]

No; I said I would work with the player to come up with a reason, or to work with me in coming up with the reason, rather than just give a blanket "nope, you're too far away."

In a game I'm in, the cleric (a githzerai) is reporting back to their superiors about suspected mind flayer activities. Their superiors are on another plane, of course. I have no idea how he's contacting them, either in or out of character, but he and the DM worked something out.

Not a background thing, but the look on my DMs face when my Cleric of Odin got the party to decide it was a good idea for him to hang himself on a tree to get some wisdom about what to do next... Sometimes the best things aren't covered in the books.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Which is why the mechanics are important for the game book, at least in D&D. Even in 5e, it's more mechanical than narrative.

I gave an example about exertion and maneuvers from Level Up on a different thread. No matter how you narrate your game, you're still going to need to be proficient in a tradition, high enough of a level to use the maneuver in question (and proficient in it as well), and have enough exertion to spend on it. It doesn't matter how much or how well you narrate--you can't use a maneuver if these four things aren't true.

For D&D, the mechanics come first.

If you want a game where the narrative comes first, you would either have to play a "who cares; just roll the dice" type of game--which is fine, but not "proper" D&D--or you'd have to play a PbtA-type game, or something like it.

I think we can put a little more effort into verisimilitude than tripping oozes.

 

[Lanefan]

Insert sword

Stir vigorously.

That sounds like a normal attack sequence rather than any specific attempt to trip the thing.

 

[Vaalingrade]

That sounds like a normal attack sequence rather than any specific attempt to trip the thing.

I'm... worried about your swordsmanship if you try and stir normally.

 

[soviet]

how is that supposed to work…

Player: I use my feature to send a message to my contact
DM: I’d rather you not use it

My read of the post I responded to was that it was the player struggling to come up with an explanation for the ability.