Unearthed Arcana Why UA Psionics are never going to work in 5e.

[Maxperson]

This is factually incorrect. Delete your account.

You're the GM. You don't need an explanation. And Wizards are not tribbles. Wizards will not start showing up in your GM notes on towns or something if you don't offer an explanation. Wizard stat blocks will not spontaneously proliferate in your adventures. Just don't make them, and they won't be there!

Player: "Why are there so few wizards and spellcasters in the world?"
GM: "Good question. There are many theories, but nobody knows for sure."

You only have to explain metaphysics if you are going to allow the players to interact with those metaphysics. Otherwise... it is just the way the world is. The PCs have no way to discover the answer without yoru cooperation, so you don't need to provide it.

As an aside, it is weird that folks don't get this: the key to making magic mysterious is to not explain stuff.

This doesn't really disagree with us, though. You're just saying that the limiter can be an unknown to everyone, including the DM. The limiter is still out there, though. Otherwise we would have another Eberron type setting where spellcasters are common.

 

[Chaosmancer]

As an aside, it is weird that folks don't get this: the key to making magic mysterious is to not explain stuff.

Eh, maybe.

See, not explaining anything at all can lead to the system being seen as "too soft" or lazy. That Day of Mourning thing that Aldarac mentioned is a great example of doing it right. We don't know what caused it, but we know what happened, I think we know who was around in that area at the time, we know who was hypothetically capable of that, it feels like if you could have been there the day it happened, and investigated, you could know the answer. Because they explained enough to give us hints.

But, if they explained nothing, you would end up with something less interesting (or more likely for your players to go poke it, because you annoyed them)

Example just to show what I mean:

"What is this black spot on the map?"
"The Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."
"Cool, how did that happen?"
"You don't know."
"Well, when did it happen?"
"You don't know."
"Okay, do we know what used to be there?"
"No."
"What do we know?"
"It is the Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."

Zero information doesn't make thing more mysterious.

 

[Minigiant]

Eh, maybe.

See, not explaining anything at all can lead to the system being seen as "too soft" or lazy. That Day of Mourning thing that Aldarac mentioned is a great example of doing it right. We don't know what caused it, but we know what happened, I think we know who was around in that area at the time, we know who was hypothetically capable of that, it feels like if you could have been there the day it happened, and investigated, you could know the answer. Because they explained enough to give us hints.

But, if they explained nothing, you would end up with something less interesting (or more likely for your players to go poke it, because you annoyed them)

Example just to show what I mean:

"What is this black spot on the map?"
"The Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."
"Cool, how did that happen?"
"You don't know."
"Well, when did it happen?"
"You don't know."
"Okay, do we know what used to be there?"
"No."
"What do we know?"
"It is the Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."

Zero information doesn't make thing more mysterious.

No dawg

You make them roll History then say they failed and don't know.
This buys you a week to make something up.

 

[Guest 6801328]

This doesn't really disagree with us, though. You're just saying that the limiter can be an unknown to everyone, including the DM. The limiter is still out there, though. Otherwise we would have another Eberron type setting where spellcasters are common.

Yes

Eh, maybe.

See, not explaining anything at all can lead to the system being seen as "too soft" or lazy. That Day of Mourning thing that Aldarac mentioned is a great example of doing it right. We don't know what caused it, but we know what happened, I think we know who was around in that area at the time, we know who was hypothetically capable of that, it feels like if you could have been there the day it happened, and investigated, you could know the answer. Because they explained enough to give us hints.

But, if they explained nothing, you would end up with something less interesting (or more likely for your players to go poke it, because you annoyed them)

Example just to show what I mean:

"What is this black spot on the map?"
"The Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."
"Cool, how did that happen?"
"You don't know."
"Well, when did it happen?"
"You don't know."
"Okay, do we know what used to be there?"
"No."
"What do we know?"
"It is the Night Void, if you go in, you never come out."

Zero information doesn't make thing more mysterious.

Thats why you need to turn all the lights out except for a small flashlight on your face, and say it in a sinister whisper.

ORRRRRRRR....

Actually have an explanation in mind, so you can drop tantalizing hints.

 

[Umbran]

This doesn't really disagree with us, though. You're just saying that the limiter can be an unknown to everyone, including the DM. The limiter is still out there, though. Otherwise we would have another Eberron type setting where spellcasters are common.

You seem to be under the misapprehension that all things that can theoretically be must come to pass, and in fact, must already have come to pass. Maybe that just not how events have unfolded in a given game world. Maybe there is no limiter, but it just hasn't happened yet, and won't happen for some centuries.

You also seem to speak as if there should be one single thing that acts as an identifiable limiter. This is also not necessarily true - there could be a whole host of things that each make it less likely, but none of which actually prohibit it, such that it just doesn't happen.

For 86 years, the Curse of the Bambino held... for no particular reason.

 

[Guest 6801328]

You seem to be under the misapprehension that all things that can theoretically be must come to pass, and in fact, must already have come to pass. Maybe that just not how events have unfolded in a given game world. Maybe there is no limiter, but it just hasn't happened yet, and won't happen for some centuries.

I'll agree with this. @Maxperson: aesthetically I hold the some of the same values as you, but your insistence that things MUST BE THIS WAY is kinda over the top.

 

[Maxperson]

You seem to be under the misapprehension that all things that can theoretically be must come to pass, and in fact, must already have come to pass. Maybe that just not how events have unfolded in a given game world. Maybe there is no limiter, but it just hasn't happened yet, and won't happen for some centuries.

If there is no limiter then the tens of thousands of years that magic and wizards have been around would be sufficient time for what I'm saying to come to pass.

You also seem to speak as if there should be one single thing that acts as an identifiable limiter. This is also not necessarily true - there could be a whole host of things that each make it less likely, but none of which actually prohibit it, such that it just doesn't happen.

No. Multiple minor limitations adding up to be enough to limit spellcasters are also sufficient. However you get there, know limiter, multiple minor limiters adding him to a major limiter, unknown limiter, there has to be a limiter in most settings. I can't think of a single official campaign setting where magic hasn't been around for a very, very long time.

If you create a setting where you are playing humans at or near the dawn of the world and magic is new, then there need be no limiter for spell users to be rare. With no limiter, though, even a thousand years later spell users wouldn't be rare. Perhaps not yet common, but not rare.

 

[Aldarc]

If you create a setting where you are playing humans at or near the dawn of the world and magic is new, then there need be no limiter for spell users to be rare. With no limiter, though, even a thousand years later spell users wouldn't be rare. Perhaps not yet common, but not rare.

Because fictional magical worlds of elves and wizards are required to follow your assumptions about how things necessarily work? That's an incredible thesis. You should publish an academic book where you argue this.

 

[Maxperson]

Because fictional magical worlds of elves and wizards are required to follow your assumptions about how things necessarily work? That's an incredible thesis. You should publish an academic book where you argue this.

Are you seriously arguing that humans in the game don't act like humans, because D&D? Because if you are, then every single person that I've ever seen roleplay a human PC has done it wrong.

I'm just assuming that humans in the game act similar to humans outside of the game.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Are you seriously arguing that humans in the game don't act like humans, because D&D? Because if you are, then every single person that I've ever seen roleplay a human PC has done it wrong.

I'm just assuming that humans in the game act similar to humans outside of the game.

But elves, Dwarves, goblins, halflings (the list goes on) aren't human , Max.

False Equivalences are False, remember?