D&D 5E Is Tasha's Broken?

[Irlo]

Quelle horreur! It would indeed be terrible is a roleplaying game people were more interested in mechanically representing the character they envision rather than maximising the combat power!

My players have demonstrated the ability to make sub-optimal choices that have nothing to do with mechanics AND nothing to do with representing the character they envision. As have I, I'm sure.

 

[Maxperson]

But some tables do it.

That's why there should be variants. That's why TCOE is crunchier and offers customization.

I'd prefer something in the DMG along the lines of, "If you play the Hack and Slash playstyle, you should use the variant where racial bonuses are floating, rather than fixed." If a rare playstyle is why we should have variants, then the variant should be attached to that playstyle.

 

[Maxperson]

My players have demonstrated the ability to make sub-optimal choices that have nothing to do with mechanics AND nothing to do with representing the character they envision. As have I, I'm sure.

I believe you, and I'm sure it happens at other tables, too, but I just don't understand it. I don't throw a dart at the PHB and make my selection based on what the dart hits. I always have a reason for selecting something.

 

[Irlo]

I believe you, and I'm sure it happens at other tables, too, but I just don't understand it. I don't throw a dart at the PHB and make my selection based on what the dart hits. I always have a reason for selecting something.

I was speaking of choices made in the game play that affect survivabilty, not those in character generation.

 

[Minigiant]

I'd prefer something in the DMG along the lines of, "If you play the Hack and Slash playstyle, you should use the variant where racial bonuses are floating, rather than fixed." If a rare playstyle is why we should have variants, then the variant should be attached to that playstyle.

That's what I've been saying for 10 pages.

Variants for Tone, Genre, Flavor, and Playstyle.

But WOTC is so hesitant on it.

 

[Maxperson]

I was speaking of choices made in the game play that affect survivabilty, not those in character generation.

Aha! So the decision to insult the king. Yeah, I've seen a lot of those suboptimal choices.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I reveal a secret about combat optimisation: it doesn't matter, the gain in power is an illusion.

Which should be proof (or at least evidence) that the motivation for highly effective combat stats* isn't what you think it is. I (and I suspect most others) aren't trying to "win" the game. We just like to be as effective as possible in facing whatever challenge the DM throws our way.

*I'll add that although I almost always discuss this in the context of combat, on the less frequent occasions when I design a support character, or a "face" character, I also want fairly optimized stats and abilities.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Quelle horreur! It would indeed be terrible is a roleplaying game people were more interested in mechanically representing the character they envision rather than maximising the combat power!

Ahhh....the "you must not be real roleplayers" argument, applied somewhat obliquely.

 

[Bill Zebub]

5e is so overtuned in favor of the players there that it kinda takes actively suicidal efforts to deliberately fail

That varies so incredibly widely depending on the DM as to be a completely meaningless assertion. (And that's even after you normalize for the inevitable, "You kids have it so easy! Back when I played through Tomb of Horrors in EGG's kitchen...etc." exaggerations.)

I have infinite dragons, after all.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Which should be proof (or at least evidence) that the motivation for highly effective combat stats* isn't what you think it is. I (and I suspect most others) aren't trying to "win" the game. We just like to be as effective as possible in facing whatever challenge the DM throws our way.

Why?