D&D 5E Shadow Step in dark dungeon - general purpose teleport or abuse of feature?

[robus]

No.

The most important thing is that everyone is having fun.

If you are valuing how cool your character is over the fun everyone is having, you will soon find that you and your very, very, very cool character will be alone. And that won't be fun.

Now, in the ideal world, everyone is having fun with their fun (not cool) characters. But table dynamics is a strange thing; sometimes, you have to give a little (of what you want) so that everyone's fun increases; including your own.

Life is ... funny ... like that sometimes.

This is true - our Wizard (well the player) was a bit reckless and this certainly started to grate on the other players early on, as he instigated trouble when they were trying to be stealthy/diplomatic. The table has come to a happy medium where he can do crazy stuff now and then but is also willing to see what others think of it first.

But it could have ended badly. Like any social situation it's a dance between individual freedom and group cohesion.

 

[bganon]

To get back to the ability under discussion, it might be worth keeping in mind that "dim light" is really quite dim; light doesn't have to be anywhere near daylight to be "bright". A torch (and torches in real life are rather poor light sources) sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius. Even a quite feeble light source in a dungeon room would get rid of many "dim" areas.

 

[Corwin]

No.

The most important thing is that everyone is having fun.

I think "Don't be a dick," is a general rule that should run parallel to wanting to play a character you think is cool. I don't think one should ever circumvent the other.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Corwin]

I think that should a general rule for life that, alas, is more frequently uttered than observed.

I can't go so far as to agree with *that*. At the gaming table with friends? Certainly. But there are plenty of moments in like where that rule does not, and should not, apply.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Is the whole party subjected to group consensus for all their actions? Does the rest of the group tell the paladin his Smiting is spoiling their fun? Or the warlock to stop using Eldritch Blast so much? Or when the fighter should Action Surge? And so on ad infinitum?

It is my humble opinion players should worry about their own fun. Why are people trying to step on someone else's enjoyment? What exactly is it about this ability that is supposedly ruining other people's fun? Maybe a little more introspection might help get to the root of the real problem.

Those abilities you list are by itself limited resources. I just see at will not necessarily as completely unexhausting. My push up example was not really serious.
But I can also scream loudly at will, but not for hours without rest. I would just explain that to the player and I believe honestly that no player would object.
I would also tell the warlock he can't fire eldritch blasts for 8 hours straight as I would tell the fighter he can't swing his axe for 8 hours straight. My reality check sensor would just ping.
I would not limit the use of shadow step to scout ahead for a few minutes. Let him repeat the jump 100 times without rest would be no problem. But when the shadow monk gets back, he is a bit exhausted (not the game effect).
Actually there is a precedent in the DM guide:
While dashing is at will, chase rules put a hard limit on the number of times you can dash in a row. After a certain number of dashes you need to do increasingly difficult constitution checks that make you exhausted (game effect) until you take a short rest. This rule btw limits the use of cunning action dash to just a reasonable head start. So extending chase rules to shadow jumps seems logical to me if it serves a better story.

BTW I have a shadow monk in my game who uses shadow step really well and often and I don't feel the need to put any limits on him. He does not jump around for the lolz.

And to the late post: If a single ability limits the creativity of the DM to have the party enjoy the story, the ability is indeed an offender. Putting a limit on that ability because it is to strong in that regard is better than not to play the story at all or in a forced way or to ban the whole class just for an ability that is not abusive of used in a reasonable fashion.

 

[robus]

And to the late post: If a single ability limits the creativity of the DM to have the party enjoy the story, the ability is indeed an offender. Putting a limit on that ability because it is to strong in that regard is better than not to play the story at all or in a forced way or to ban the whole class just for an ability that is not abusive of used in a reasonable fashion.

Related to that point, the ranger in my party has a pseudo-dragon that she like to use to scout ahead. That's fine - but part of me worries that the rest of the party doesn't get to explore new spaces because the pseudo-dragon has already reconnoitered ahead. Basically it's acting as a drone, and potentially takes some of the mystery away for the other players.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I would tell the fighter he can't swing his axe for 8 hours straight.

Making our fantastical, mythical hero inferior to the average labourer in the 19th century...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Making our fantastical, mythical hero inferior to the average labourer in the 19th century...

without a 5 min rest or eating a bit in between? Every 6 seconds?

 

[OB1]

Related to that point, the ranger in my party has a pseudo-dragon that she like to use to scout ahead. That's fine - but part of me worries that the rest of the party doesn't get to explore new spaces because the pseudo-dragon has already reconnoitered ahead. Basically it's acting as a drone, and potentially takes some of the mystery away for the other players.

I think the answer to this is that every once in a while, the pseudo-dragon doesn't report back, and now not only does the party not have advanced scouting, but also have to worry about what caused the ranger's pet not to return or something changes before the party gets to the scouted area that catches the party off guard (pD reported all clear, but by the time the party gets there a wyrven has come into the area). The other times it's just the ranger getting to use one of her best features to help out the party, as she should be able to do, but because of the occasional mishap the party has to remain on its toes.