D&D General When do you overrule RAW?

[James Gasik]

I don't like how the game treats difficult terrain. Like it either is or isn't difficult terrain for everyone. For example in case of spike growth it might make more sense to say it is difficult terrain to large or smaller creatures.


But remember that the flip side is allowing the players to use that same logic to break the rules for their advantage.

I'd rather not get into the weeds of discussing "what if X is a bad actor?". After all, that leads us to "what if the DM is a bad actor?".

If someone wants to break the rules, they're a dirty cheater. If someone wants to exploit the rules, well, that's a bit more nuanced.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'd rather not get into the weeds of discussing "what if X is a bad actor?". After all, that leads us to "what if the DM is a bad actor?".

If someone wants to break the rules, they're a dirty cheater. If someone wants to exploit the rules, well, that's a bit more nuanced.

I mean the GM overrides the rules if the players come up with something that logically should work even if the rules would say no.

 

[Bagpuss]

Again, if this scene were in a movie, how would it be depicted? What would it look like to generate the results you want?

Again just unfairly penalises the martial player by making them just through an extra hoop.

 

[Zubatcarteira]

Mostly if it's an obviously overpowered exploit (Simulacrum chain, coffeelock, etc), for stuff just on the moment. If I just really dislike it, then I can make it clear from the start, but probably not deny it mid-game.

 

[James Gasik]

I mean the GM overrides the rules if the players come up with something that logically should work even if the rules would say no.

They certainly can. But whether or not they will is not something you can rely on with any GM.

 

[James Gasik]

Mostly if it's an obviously overpowered exploit (Simulacrum chain, coffeelock, etc).

If there's one lesson I learned in 3e, it's that one man's overpowered is another man's scrub tier.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Wow, how much I hate that Mercer example. Sentinel stops people, that's its whole thing.

The most common RAW I ignore is that you cannot talk when it's not your turn.

 

[Tony Vargas]

This is a game philosophy issue.
Do we want the rules to be more proscriptive, like they were in

TSR era was more proscriptive - lots of things were couched in terms of what your class couldn't do. Armor and weapon proscriptions, for instance. (Just checked, apparently the 1e PH uses the word 'proscribed' 4 times, plus a bonus use of 'proscriptions' - I'm guessing most other eds don't)
Prescriptive? maybe?
Anyway, rules can be more or less functional, more or less complete.... and, well, attitudes can vary...
3e, for instance, had moar rules, but the big difference was the faith ...or something... the community had in their consensus vision of The RAW.

Or do we want the DM to have broad latitude, which is more likely to enable moments of Rule of Cool, but also opens the door for rulings a player doesn't like?

TBF, it's not going to be just 'the player doesn't like it,' in some aesthetic or selfish sense - tho, that's gonna happen, too. For that matter, Rule of Cool isn't going to be cool every time.
DMs and players are people, they're imperfect, communication is imperfect, they're going to disagree about off the cuff decisions some of the time.

There's no right answer, just what works for each group.

Ultimately, tho, it's not either-or. The DM can step up and Rule of Cool (or Yer Not Gonna Like This) any game, any time, no matter how P-scriptive/functional/complete it is or isn't.

 

[James Gasik]

Wow, how much I hate that Mercer example. Sentinel stops people, that's its whole thing.

The most common RAW I ignore is that you cannot talk when it's not your turn.

Talking in D&D is one of those weird things you just have to handwave. How much information you can get out in 6 seconds?

 

[Zubatcarteira]

When nerfing abilities for realism, I always think of something going like this:

DM: "The Storm Giant swings his gargantuan hammer . . . for 16 to hit."

Fighter: "My 18 AC plate blocks that, I'm good."

DM: "Wait, how is your non-magical plate helping against a hammer the size of a bus hitting you in the face?"

Fighter: "I don't know, it's what the rules say."

DM: "That doesn't make sense, it hits you anyway."

Fighter: "Should have played a Bladesinger . . ."