What is the essence of D&D

[Guest 6801328]

Underground tunnel delving required really? Not cities and mysterious forests with Temples to evil gods and castles with realistic one room tiny actual dungeons?

Yeah, I'm with S'mon. There are lots of aspects of D&D I enjoy, but without going into spooky underground complexes with monsters, it just wouldn't be the same.

 

[Tony Vargas]

you notice that you just put the words of a literal supervillain ?

. Syndrome was the super-villain in Incredibles. Both he and Dash said that line, though, or something close to it "that's just another way of saying nobody is," I think, was Dash's version.

Let's see:

Elastigirl: Everyone is special, Dash.
Dash Parr: That's just another way of saying no one is.

later,

Syndrome: And when everyone's super, [evil Laugh] no-one will be.

OK, paraphrasing either way.


But, yes, it is essentially the same sentiment as the whole samey-classes/fighters-cast-spells/magic-doesn't-feel-magical line of criticism. I repeated it because I'd heard it in this context more than a few times.
And, yes, it's been pointed out before that Syndrome said it, too, to little effect.

 

[jhingelshod]

 

[TheCosmicKid]

. Syndrome was the super-villain in Incredibles. Both he and Dash said that line, though, or something close to it "that's just another way of saying nobody is," I think, was Dash's version.

So the people in whose mouths you're putting these words aren't supervillains -- they're just angry children?

Have you considered not putting words in peoples' mouths at all?

 

[Tony Vargas]

So the people in whose mouths you're putting these words aren't supervillains -- they're just angry children?
Have you considered not putting words in peoples' mouths at all?

Oh, you joined in 2011.

From 2008:

"Syndrome" Syndrome: or the Fallacy of "Special"

Lately, I have noticed that the talking-point criticism of the 4E system has been a co-opted quote from the movie The Incredibles, in that "When everyone is special, no one will be." Lets ignore the fact that the source of the quote is a deranged maniac; the quote itself, when applied as it has...

www.enworld.org

I hate game balance!

So, I bought the 4E books. I read them. I read a lot of posts here on enworld, reading about others opinions and helping to solidify my own. And heres the deal. I HATE GAME BALANCE! I have always abhorred game balance. It made no sense. I loved the fact a fighter could kick the snot out of a...

www.enworld.org

So, yeah, folks were quoting Syndrome (or Dash) in summing up their reactions to the way, well, 4e repudiated the Primacy of Magic. I didn't make use the quote then. I just alluded to its usage.

Really, it was a much-beaten drum.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

@Tony Vargas

Ask a whole bunch of other players who made the upgrade. You will get a broad variety of reasons. Will some of them give you stuff that sounds kind of like this "Primacy of Magic" idea? Yes, of course. But if you cite those reasons to say "Aha! I was right! Primacy of Magic is the essence of D&D and the reason why 4E failed through no fault of its own!", and ignore all the other reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with Primacy of Magic but maybe do find some fault in 4E... well, then, that's what's known as cherry-picking.

 

[Garthanos]

Never mind that I'd have probably gotten bored with all the planning long since, and gone and done something rash.

I identified that in you.... My coworker says next campaign he is being that guy since he is bloody tired of the one who usually is and he figures to put the shoe on the other foot.

 

[Garthanos]

Really, it was a much-beaten drum.

The site that really rang with those war drums was torn down ... so there is that. A lot of resources were lost too.

 

[Hussar]

Ummm @TheCosmicKid, perhaps actually addressing the point rather that get upset about a single sentence might be more productive?

I mean there’s a whole wall of text there with considerable supporting evidence. Getting twisted up in a single line seems a little pointless.

 

[Zardnaar]

So what I'm taking from this is that Fighters and Rogues can go naughty word themselves like the dirt-eating peasants they are? And if they get uppity, the magic bougie boot should stomp them back down post-haste?

Wow, thank you people.

Nope there's more than one way to defang magic.

You need some of the classics in their though.

Cheap n cheerful magic items in 3E was a mistake. Letting players buy them is probably another one (3E and 4E).