It's not really min-maxing, but you can choose a flaw or a FLAW. Not all are equally negative. You can minimize how bad for your character the flaw is likely to be. You can also choose ideals, etc. the same way. The ideal of tradition is less likely to garner good will and future reward than the ideal of charity is. Or if keeping your hard won loot is more your thing, you'd pick power over charity. There are better and worse choices to make for your character.
I suppose, but the rewards are so meager that it seems to me like a lot of work for a reward of thin gruel. It's nothing like picking, i.e., Disadvantages in Champions, where you want more points for less actual in-play cost.
Well I missed that context.
It depends on who you are charitable to I suppose. Sometimes having a place to hide where you have someone loyal and won't give you away is worth more than a pile of gold. Sometimes the person is just at a down point in life and will return to power and be able to help you considerably for your favors. And there are also other traits that can be chosen for PC gain, instead of neutral or bad.
I like the idea of having Patrons, advantages and disadvantages etc.... but I think I'd prefer them to be separate subsystems to prevent manipulation. Starting the game with some allies is a good thing. This is something that 13th Age did well. Not endorsing that game for other reasons but I liked that aspect of it.It depends on who you are charitable to I suppose. Sometimes having a place to hide where you have someone loyal and won't give you away is worth more than a pile of gold. Sometimes the person is just at a down point in life and will return to power and be able to help you considerably for your favors. And there are also other traits that can be chosen for PC gain, instead of neutral or bad.
I also agree with you, which is why I opened with, "It's not really min-maxing..."
OSR play significantly deempahsizes the 5 minute work day. There are far less per day abilities and far less per day healing. A greater emphasis on resource management also makes the 5MWD less appealing because there are significantly more pressures on the party's time due to things like food and torch use, things that are laughably hand wave-y in 5E and newer editions. The newer the edition, generally speaking, the more you deal with 5 minute workday style play. Pointing to OSR play here is probably a mistake on your part.
In my experience, it was prevalent in every edition from Basic on up. You pretty virtually every party had spellcasters and it was almost always the better choice to keep them rested to get spells back. Especially if you had a cleric for magic healing. Magic healing = overnight healing when you get high enough level.
I think this really depends on the scenario. ToH particularly, but also White Plume Mountain and Castle Amber, all seem to welcome it!
High level play is the least common play tier, so why is that the yardstick? I'd also submit that played with strict attention to detail on the resource side, this isn't how B/X or BECMI actually play, and certainly not at low or mid tier. I was specifically addressing the 5 minute workday remember, which isn't just about healing, but also blowing nova abilities, a thing that those editions don't really have.
Published adventures that are at odds with the game rules? Perish the thought sir, perish the thought.
Also, see above.
