D&D 5E Do you think 5e is deadly enough and do you finish off downed characters?

[Micah Sweet]

How often will NPCs encounter such tactics? Most often, enemies are considered dead as soon as you drop them, and having combat healers along isn't particularly standard. It's only the PCs who get to make death saves.

Of course, it's also only with the PCs that combat actually matters.

 

[Filthy Lucre]

You keep relying on one very specific example.

The ability to think abstractly or engage in thought experiments is a hallmark of intelligence.

It doesn't have to be a fire fight. I mean ANY combat: 5v5 gladiatorial arena. Urban street combat in WW2. Two lone Jedi vs. an army of robots. All of these, for my purposes, are the same because they all have the same element of: We are in danger and if we have to choose between who MIGHT be a live vs who IS alive, it's a no brainer.

"I bashed this orc and he fell over and there is another orc actively charging me... I better make sure that this one who is unconscious and bleeding to death is actually dead before I address the hulking marauder about to tackle me in a split second". Real big brain naughty word.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I did solve it - because I stopped playing 5e and now play PF2e where I don't have that problem.

We looked at PF2, but combat was not to our liking. They change in Crits also impacted how we implement DR, so that was another stumbling block

 

[Filthy Lucre]

We looked at PF2, but combat was not to our liking. They change in Crits also impacted how we implement DR, so that was another stumbling block

Unless I'm mistaken there are extremely few ways for PCs to even get damage reduction so I'm surprised to hear that was an issue.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Unless I'm mistaken there are extremely few ways for PCs to even get damage reduction so I'm surprised to hear that was an issue.

We use house rules for DR, in whatever RPG we play. The Crit mechanic was a problem for how we implement DR

 

[Filthy Lucre]

We use house rules for DR, in whatever RPG we play. The Crit mechanic was a problem for how we implement DR

I am very curious about this damage reduction house rule - what is it?

 

[Voadam]

I'm interested in the various reasoning for why one does or doesn't attack unconscious characters but I am especially interested in the thoughts of those that feel 5e combat is too easy but don't finish off downed characters and why that is.

Generally as a DM this option comes up in one of two situations, 1) a PC is unconscious but others are conscious and still fighting the monsters, or 2) the party is all unconscious.

Under 1) I generally have the monsters fight the still actively threatening PCs rather than the unconscious PC making no attacks per round.

Under 2) I go with narrative reasoning for the game, if there is a reason to take prisoners that makes sense narratively then that might happen, it might also be the narrative end of the group.

 

[MarkB]

Of course, it's also only with the PCs that combat actually matters.

Yes, but that's not something the NPCs are aware of, so I'm not sure how it relates to my statement.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes, but that's not something the NPCs are aware of, so I'm not sure how it relates to my statement.

My point is that regardless of the narritive situation, the fact is that fights involving PCs are rife with characters going down and coming back very, very quickly, and those are the only fights that matter in the game since everything else is off camera. At a certain level, you have to look at what the rules say and how they effect what actually happens at the table.

 

[MarkB]

My point is that regardless of the narritive situation, the fact is that fights involving PCs are rife with characters going down and coming back very, very quickly, and those are the only fights that matter in the game since everything else is off camera. At a certain level, you have to look at what the rules say and how they effect what actually happens at the table.

And that's a perfectly fine point to make. But it seems entirely unrelated to what I was talking about.