D&D 5E Requiring players to know their character

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Barring learning disabilities, only being involved in the game for a one-shot and then never coming back to it, or a DM who says that the rules just don't matter, no player has an excuse for not continually becoming ever more conversant with the rules for the game they're playing. Doesn't mean you are expected to MEMORIZE all the rules and never look anything up, but for a character you're actually playing over the course of a campaign, you are reasonably expected to know the rules that routinely apply to and are used by that character, and you should be paying enough attention to other rules (even if they don't apply directly to your PC) to soon enough become completely familiar with them as well.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Drop them for push ups and make them run laps until they know their pcs.

Wusses. They need to be able to recite their PC sheets blindfolded in less than 60 seconds.

 

[Ancalagon]

Come on, don't be too dramatic 5e is one of the best systems so far to bring differently complex PCs at the same table, it was designed with that in mind (although they could have taken it farther ). Anyway if the OP changes to another system, the OTHER players may not like it. I think it makes sense to strive for a solution within 5e before totally change game.

Playing other systems is good for you

 

[Blue]

You've given me a metric ton of great suggestions, and I'll be working with some of those instead of going the original route which I was unsure about in the first place.

Thanks everyone for your fantastic ideas and feedback.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Sometimes a swift kick in the ass works too.

Certainly but as one of those slow players is my wife, who loves to play D&D and really does put a great deal of effort into playing but will always struggle with the mechanics of it, a swift kick in the ass will result in very undesirable consequences in my life.

 

[R_J_K75]

Certainly but as one of those slow players is my wife, who loves to play D&D and really does put a great deal of effort into playing but will always struggle with the mechanics of it, a swift kick in the ass will result in very undesirable consequences in my life.

Its was meant as a joke for the most part. Happy wife, happy life.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Its was meant as a joke for the most part.

Humor over text is always tough to parse. I try to use an over abundance of winky faces.

Happy wife, happy life.

I might argue with this statement, but I can absolutely confirm the inverse is true.

Unhappy wife === unhappy life.

 

[Ancalagon]

Certainly but as one of those slow players is my wife, who loves to play D&D and really does put a great deal of effort into playing but will always struggle with the mechanics of it, a swift kick in the ass will result in very undesirable consequences in my life.

See, this is a perfect case of a system switch potentially helping. Your wife clearly enjoys playing an RPG and puts effort into it. Right there makes your wife at the very least a good RPG player. But she is struggling with the system. There are great systems out there that would allow her to play more swiftly and have more fun.

The rules are there to enhance your fun, not be an obstacle to it. I suggest a B/X clone, the GLOG or Troika!

 

[Seramus]

Good players know what their abilities do, know their bonuses, and are ready to act when their turn comes up.

Many people play with their friends. Your friends are usually not good players, but you keep playing with them because you like hanging out with your friends.

So encourage your friends to be better players, become friends with people who are already good players, or accept the slowness of playing D&D with friends.

 

[Coroc]

Some players will never forget the least special ability their toons can do (even if sometimes you as a DM wished they would from time to time, in the case you as a DM oversaw it, because it would trivialize some nasty situation you thought out for the group)

Others, often very good roleplayers, just aren't into mathematics. Sometimes my head is not free myself when I am a player and sometimes even when I DM though rarely, and I got to look something up during play.

What I absolutely expect from players is, with casters that they track their slots/spells memorized and from others that they know how often they can use a special move e.g. second wind, action surge per rest.

I will not do this for them I already got to track the monsters and the story.

At my table, player or DM, often some spell is looked up if it is unclear whether something is affected or how, so in situations were we want to be true to the RAW and DM is not just ruling things instead.