D&D 5E Players: Why Do You Want to Roll a d20?

[coolAlias]

Really? Because what I remember is that the DM decides the DC for the climb with the DC being anything from automatic to nearly impossible. After all, what is the wall made of? Broken rock? Smooth ice? Jello?

It's up to the DM to give the players the information they think PC would have before the player makes a decision.

I don't disagree with any of that. The climbing thing is merely an example of how a shared understanding of the rules facilitates play.

As a player, I can expect to be able to climb no check required OR receive a decent in-game reason that should be apparent to my character why I'm going to need to make a check.

If I want to shimmy down a standard hemp rope and each time I get varying DCs (from none required to whatever the DM feels like) with little to no in-game reasoning why it's so different each time, that's a problem for me.

I'm not implying anyone here is doing it that way, I'm just pointing out that while yes, the rules are only general guidelines, any significant changes to the way the game is played should be discussed with the players beforehand so they know what to expect.

 

[Charlaquin]

Has anybody else noticed that official WotC adventures for the most part do not seem to use skills in the way they are described in the rules? It's like the people who write the adventures didn't get the memo and are still writing as if they are playing an earlier edition.

Yes, I have definitely noticed it. I’ve also noticed that Chris Perkins ran Dice Camera Action more like a 3.Xe game than a 5e game. I haven’t watched/listened to Heroes of the Veil, can anyone comment on Mike Mearls’ DMing style? From what I remember of some of the D&D Next playtest games he ran, he ran much more like what 5e suggests. Which makes sense, in a playtest you want to run things as by-the-book as possible. Then again, as I recall the D&D Next playtest adventures and the Sundering adventures lent themselves much better to 5e style task resolution, which is part of why they’re still some of my favorite published adventures.

 

[Oofta]

I don't disagree with any of that. The climbing thing is merely an example of how a shared understanding of the rules facilitates play.

As a player, I can expect to be able to climb no check required OR receive a decent in-game reason that should be apparent to my character why I'm going to need to make a check.

If I want to shimmy down a standard hemp rope and each time I get varying DCs (from none required to whatever the DM feels like) with little to no in-game reasoning why it's so different each time, that's a problem for me.

I'm not implying anyone here is doing it that way, I'm just pointing out that while yes, the rules are only general guidelines, any significant changes to the way the game is played should be discussed with the players beforehand so they know what to expect.

Which is fine, if not obvious from your original post which caused the confusion.

I'm just saying that perhaps the reason the official mods don't always support a specific interpretation of the rules is because there is no one true way of interpreting the rules. An interpretation of the rules that. by the way, I've never actually seen put into play in real life and wouldn't know existed if not for this forum.

So maybe, just maybe, there isn't one true way. Maybe, just maybe, people read more into the rules than was intended. Just spit-balling here, but if the guy who helped write the rules doesn't follow your interpretation of the rules that may just mean that he's running the game in a manner that makes most sense to him and his group.

Which you can do as well. We don't all have to agree on how to play the game.

 

[coolAlias]

Which is fine, if not obvious from your original post which caused the confusion.

~snip~

Which you can do as well. We don't all have to agree on how to play the game.

Apologies, then - I thought it was pretty clear from my first post that I was agreeing with you that the rules are more like guidelines and that there isn't any "one true way" to play the game, but that having everyone on the same page as to which way they are playing helps players like me make better in-game decisions.

 

[Oofta]

Apologies, then - I thought it was pretty clear from my first post that I was agreeing with you that the rules are more like guidelines and that there isn't any "one true way" to play the game, but that having everyone on the same page as to which way they are playing helps players like me make better in-game decisions.

Yeah, I try to cover things like style of play and expectations in a session 0. I also vary my style a bit based on group and campaign.

It's often difficult to share opinions on these forums without ... bickering. I suspect that most people wouldn't really notice that much of a difference in games. But even if they did, not every style is going to work for everyone.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm just saying that perhaps the reason the official mods don't always support a specific interpretation of the rules is because there is no one true way of interpreting the rules. An interpretation of the rules that. by the way, I've never actually seen put into play in real life and wouldn't know existed if not for this forum.

Man, you keep saying this. Could you do me a favor and just go watch one episode of Critical Role?

 

[Oofta]

Man, you keep saying this. Could you do me a favor and just go watch one episode of Critical Role?

I watched a couple of episodes. Maybe I just don't count podcasts as real life.

 

[Charlaquin]

I watched a couple of episodes. Maybe I just don't count podcasts as real life.

I mean... it’s still proof that there are real people who actually play the game that way in meatspace rather than just talking about it on forums. So, your claim that you would never have heard of it if not for these forums doesn’t really hold water if you’ve seen Critical Role.

 

[Oofta]

I mean... it’s still proof that there are real people who actually play the game that way in meatspace rather than just talking about it on forums. So, your claim that you would never have heard of it if not for these forums doesn’t really hold water if you’ve seen Critical Role.

No, what I'm saying is I've never played in a game where people cared one way or another if I said "Can I get an insight check" or similar. As far as CR, I watched a few episodes a long time ago and decided it wasn't worth watching for me. I didn't pay much attention to the style of play, I just vaguely remember that there were some aspects I liked (the characterization/in-depth RP) and others I didn't (Matt telling the people what their PCs thought).

I don't doubt that people play a different way than I've experienced.

 

[Oofta]

I mean... it’s still proof that there are real people who actually play the game that way in meatspace rather than just talking about it on forums. So, your claim that you would never have heard of it if not for these forums doesn’t really hold water if you’ve seen Critical Role.

Oh, and just to follow up on this, I distinctly remember* things like the redhead (Matt's wife?) asking if she could do an acrobatics check to climb a tree. Can I quote you episode and time? No. But IIRC, he just corrected her and told her it was an athletics check to climb. I only remember it because I had a player at the time who wanted to use acrobatics for everything. Occasionally I'd allow him to parkour up (which is what she was thinking) but it was situational.

*AKA just another random thing stuck in my brain shoving aside whatever it was I was supposed to buy for my wife on my way home.