Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
But the DM doesn’t have to do any work to make Initiative matter. They can do work to change how it functions, but they can also just use the function already provided in the book.Okay, but nothing matters unless the DM makes it matter. The DM comes up with or allows every mechanic in the game. It doesn't matter if it's written down or in the DM's head, it's still not going to matter unless the DM makes it matter.
Not so. I prefer that there be codified rules and subsystems only where the depth added by the rule or system is significant compared to the complexity of the rule or system. That’s why I say, if the route one wants to go down is for there to be no codified economic subsystem, that’s fine, but then why track individual coins? That’s unneeded complexity at that point.I'm not sure there really is a word that fits. It seems that you just prefer that codify as much as possible, which runs contrary to the design intent of 5e.
Because the latter involves so many variables that it would require an absurd amount of complex rules to even begin to attempt to codify it, and the result would not be a system with any more depth than simply letting the DM use their best judgment. As compared to an economy subsystem, where the depth added by giving mechanical consequence to the things one can purchase with gold adds a great deal of depth for minimal added complexity.There are millions, and probably billions of things and combinations of things that can occur in a game that aren't written is rules in the game. The DM currentl has to make all of them matter if/when they come up. Do you want all of them written down by WotC in the rulebook? If not, why does how to come up with gold spending on a temple warrant a rule, but where how to come up with whether or not an NPC knows and will answer the PCs doesn't warrant a rule?
And to cut off any potential quibbling about what the words “depth” and “complexity” mean, then here. Watch this:
https://youtu.be/jVL4st0blGU
That’s what I’m using those words to mean.
EDIT: Oh, hey, the video even uses the term “meaningful choices” and gets into what makes a choice meaningful or not in a game design sense! Awesome, two birds, one stone. Damn, I love Extra Credits!
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