Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
yes, this again: Fighters need more non-combat options
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Guest 6801328" data-source="post: 7547330"><p>Apologies if I'm interpreting this wrong, but these two paragraphs evoke for me the image of players announcing they are going to "use skills", and maybe even rolling dice before the DM calls for it. ("I'll make an Investigation check...17! Do I find anything?")</p><p></p><p>I can see how, playing under the assumptions of previous editions, it might feel like the Fighter has a harder time contributing. But it doesn't have to be that way.</p><p></p><p>But when we let players declare goals and describe how they do it, and as DMs we only ask for dice rolls when the outcome is in doubt, then everybody can participate out of combat. If the player of any character...including the Fighter...proposes a reasonable/clever/sensible course of action, the DM is free to just narrate success, no dice roll needed.</p><p></p><p>"I'm going to use the distraction of the Dwarves arguing to slip upstairs to search the Bard's room."</p><p>"Ok."</p><p>"Roll Stealth?"</p><p>"Nope. You're fine. You're in the Bard's room. You see..." etc.</p><p></p><p>See? Why does it add to the story to make him roll Stealth in this case? It was a sensible idea and it advances the story to just let him succeed.</p><p></p><p>Or maybe the DM decides that it's an automatic failure, because an NPC is suspicious of them and is watching, and there's no way anybody is going to get up the stairs unseen. So it's the same narration as before, but this time the NPC bursts in while the Fighter is rifling through the Bard's room.</p><p></p><p>Or maybe the Fighter's player says when he gets to the top of the stairs he lurks in the shadows, waiting to see if he's followed. Another sensible course of action, so this time he finds the NPC creeping up after him! Again, no dice roll needed. </p><p></p><p>Then maybe he decides to pounce on the NPC and find out who he is and what he's doing. Then, finally, the dice rolling might start. And...oh joy!...he has proficiency in Intimidation and Athletics!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Guest 6801328, post: 7547330"] Apologies if I'm interpreting this wrong, but these two paragraphs evoke for me the image of players announcing they are going to "use skills", and maybe even rolling dice before the DM calls for it. ("I'll make an Investigation check...17! Do I find anything?") I can see how, playing under the assumptions of previous editions, it might feel like the Fighter has a harder time contributing. But it doesn't have to be that way. But when we let players declare goals and describe how they do it, and as DMs we only ask for dice rolls when the outcome is in doubt, then everybody can participate out of combat. If the player of any character...including the Fighter...proposes a reasonable/clever/sensible course of action, the DM is free to just narrate success, no dice roll needed. "I'm going to use the distraction of the Dwarves arguing to slip upstairs to search the Bard's room." "Ok." "Roll Stealth?" "Nope. You're fine. You're in the Bard's room. You see..." etc. See? Why does it add to the story to make him roll Stealth in this case? It was a sensible idea and it advances the story to just let him succeed. Or maybe the DM decides that it's an automatic failure, because an NPC is suspicious of them and is watching, and there's no way anybody is going to get up the stairs unseen. So it's the same narration as before, but this time the NPC bursts in while the Fighter is rifling through the Bard's room. Or maybe the Fighter's player says when he gets to the top of the stairs he lurks in the shadows, waiting to see if he's followed. Another sensible course of action, so this time he finds the NPC creeping up after him! Again, no dice roll needed. Then maybe he decides to pounce on the NPC and find out who he is and what he's doing. Then, finally, the dice rolling might start. And...oh joy!...he has proficiency in Intimidation and Athletics! [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
yes, this again: Fighters need more non-combat options
Top