D&D General Do people like re-skinning?

[MGibster]

What is it about the automaton's nature that allows it to Disengage or Hide as a bonus action? Do you really think that a Dexterity of 14 is the best way to represent the natural agility of a clockwork automaton? Should it really have a Charisma score of 8? Why isn't it immune to psychic damage, or poison, the way that other constructs are?

None of these questions are important to me. But I'll ask again. If I reskinned a goblin into an automaton how have I treated you unfairly? How would you even know what I did?

Whenever I interact with one of these automatons, there's a good chance that things will play out not based on the inherent qualities of the participants involved, but on the basis of your being too lazy to take your role seriously. You might as well be picking random numbers out of a hat, for all that those number mean anything.

I've got a lot of experience DMing and I've been reskinning for at least half of that. Based on my personal experience it pretty much plays out how I expected, Well, you know, save for the randomness of die rolls and whatever crazy crap my players decide to pull.

 

[MGibster]

This whole discussion reminds me of Gulliver's Travels where the Big-Endians, who break their boiled eggs on the big end, rebel against their king, a Little-Endian, because he breaks his boiled eggs on the little end. Some very strong feelings about something that matters so little.

 

[Nellisir]

I'm not even going to bother reading this whole thread or weighing in on the validity of Big-End vs Little-End, and whether or not those with Stars Upon Thars are mechanically identical to, or simply 99% identical to, those Without Stars Upon Thars. Do I reskin? Yes. Usually monsters and races, because the skeleton stat block makes a handy framework upon which to hang druid-animated grove guardian bundles of sticks and branches (and who may be either immune to turning and vulnerable to fire, or vulnerable to turning (because FAITH WAR and protected from fire (because it's a doggone obvious weakness). And the humanoid roachlings are suspiciously similar to goblins, mechanically. And domovii are weirdly like halflings mechanically, if not culturally.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

None of these questions are important to me. But I'll ask again. If I reskinned a goblin into an automaton how have I treated you unfairly? How would you even know what I did?

Of course they aren't important to you. You've already admitted that you don't actually care about what the mechanics actually mean, or the integrity of the process.

As a player, I care that we're using the right numbers, and so should the DM. If the numbers don't mean anything, then there's no point in playing. That's why I trust the DM to take this as seriously as anyone else at the table; and if they don't, then they've broken that trust, and wasted all of our time.

And the fact that I don't have any easy way of knowing whether they're playing fairly, is why it's such a big deal. Players need to be able to trust their DM. It's absolutely vital. The game cannot exist without that trust.

 

[Maxperson]

Of course they aren't important to you. You've already admitted that you don't actually care about what the mechanics actually mean, or the integrity of the process.

This is bunk. You've repeatedly in this thread portrayed your personal opinions as fact. The mechanics mean what they mean to you, and mean something else to him. Both have meaning and his treating them differently doesn't mean the process in his game has lost any sort of integrity. His game is his game and yours is yours. Stop treating the games of others as if they are yours and have to play out your way or they are bad.

 

[SkidAce]

If you actually do work out the stats for a War Ogre, and your honest interpretation comes out looking exactly like a Fire Giant, then you didn't really re-skin anything; you did your job, and coincidentally come out with the same answer as if you'd taken the shortcut.

And if you have done this long enough to be able to glance at a stat block and say "Yup, just what I needed...War Ogre..boom." ?

I understand you point about making sure its the right monster/right stats/etc for the job, and putting effort into a creature in order to enhance the game, I really do.

(here comes the ...) But, I also know when a statblock is the perfect fit, with a appearance tweak and maybe a weapon change.

When I am reasonably sure the effort/result balance is right, and I can copy a statblock and tweak, I will not consider myself wrong, nor lazy, nor cheating my players. The time I saved will be applied to a different, just as important part of the adventure.

YMMV, of course.

 

[MGibster]

And the fact that I don't have any easy way of knowing whether they're playing fairly, is why it's such a big deal. Players need to be able to trust their DM. It's absolutely vital. The game cannot exist without that trust.

I think we just see things in a fundamentally different light. If you want to crack your egg on the big end that's no skin off my nose. As long as you're having a good time you're not doing anything wrong there.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I think we just see things in a fundamentally different light. If you want to crack your egg on the big end that's no skin off my nose. As long as you're having a good time you're not doing anything wrong there.

I won't be having a good time if I can't trust the DM, and apparently I can't trust the majority of DMs in this thread. That's skin off my nose.

 

[MGibster]

I won't be having a good time if I can't trust the DM, and apparently I can't trust the majority of DMs in this thread. That's skin off my nose.

That last post of mine was my way of saying, "Hey, we do things differently. But so long as you're having fun that's okay." Think about that next time you decide to double down on the negativity there.

 

[Maxperson]

I won't be having a good time if I can't trust the DM, and apparently I can't trust the majority of DMs in this thread. That's skin off my nose.

Man. It must really suck to have your fun ruined by our games. I'd work on letting the frustration go and just let us enjoy our games and you enjoy yours.