D&D 5E "In my Experience Players in D&D5E games regularly ask for Advantage." (a poll)

overgeeked · Aug 22, 2022

True. If there’s ever a roll, the players always want more. Guidance, inspiration, bardic inspiration, advantage, whatever. Beg, borrow, steal, cajole, whine, doesn’t matter. Every roll, no matter how inconsequential, is life or death and they must win.

Umbran · Aug 22, 2022

I have seen less "ask for" and more "will seek and utilize it if there's a game rule/policy that grants it."

In one game I play in, the GM uses flanking rules - the PCs seek out flanking regularly. In that game the GM has also laid out that if you have a tool proficiency that overlaps with a skill (like, a musical instrument and Performance, or in her game lockpicks and Slight of Hand), and players will use that.

By and large, ad hoc advantage has been left to the GM to offer, rather than the players ask for.

prabe · Aug 22, 2022

I don't find they ask for Advantage much at all--but I don't use Inspiration. I find they play for Advantage quite a lot.

That might be overly pedantic. Sorry.

el-remmen · Aug 22, 2022

prabe said:
I don't find they ask for Advantage much at all--but I don't use Inspiration. I find they play for Advantage quite a lot.

That might be overly pedantic. Sorry.

Nope not pedantic at all.

I see a difference between doing things in game that have rules specifically granting advantage and constantly asking for it for X or Y reason that is not codified in the rules.

Giant Octopodes · Aug 23, 2022

overgeeked said:
True. If there’s ever a roll, the players always want more. Guidance, inspiration, bardic inspiration, advantage, whatever. Beg, borrow, steal, cajole, whine, doesn’t matter. Every roll, no matter how inconsequential, is life or death and they must win.

Respectfully, if it's inconsequential, why are they rolling?

I voted no, the tables I've been at, I've pretty much never seen someone ask for advantage. They assume they don't have it unless the DM indicates otherwise or they have an explicit effect granting it, and the only questions regarding advantage are clarifying ones. I'll also point out that while the DMs at my table are quick to assign disadvantage (the rope is slick, the wind is blowing, you can't see well, etc etc) they almost NEVER assign advantage no matter how much circumstances may warrant it (the wall has large grooves and easy handholds, you're well experienced at this, the sky is perfectly clear).

Pretty much the only way I see players get advantage when not personally DMing is via magical means. Instead disadvantageous circumstances tend to impose disadvantage, and advantageous circumstances tend to lower DCs in my experience. Even when I DM I'm not as good about that as I feel I should be, far too often I fall for the trap of assuming standard DC assumes absolutely perfect circumstances and tools and it's all downhill from there.