D&D 5E Would you require a roll for this?

[Reynard]

"What are you trying to accomplish."

I feel like this is the most important question that many GMs forget to ask in play.

 

[Andvari]

Well, only if you are in the habit of shutting down any creative solutions to problems by nitpicking or insisting on a roll or appropriate spell. If you can solve things with out of the box thinking then you can engage the fighter players also.

Sure,I’m just saying that if you of all things pick a fighter, you might have some hope of getting to actually fight at least a little.

 

[Reynard]

Well, only if you are in the habit of shutting down any creative solutions to problems by nitpicking or insisting on a roll or appropriate spell. If you can solve things with out of the box thinking then you can engage the fighter players also.

I can see the appeal of a one time, relatively short "problem solving only" dungeon but not over the long term and likely not more than once per campaign.

 

[soviet]

I reward creative and intelligent play. I don't encourage "Come up with anything, even something that should not work, and hope the DM goes along with it." I get plenty out of the box thinking in part because I will tell people "You can't do that" followed by a "What are you trying to accomplish." Then we can work together to figure out an alternative. After all we're building a shared fictional world here, my view of that world will never be 100% agreement with the player but through discussion we can frequently work something out. I find that a back and forth is far more engaging. Note that this also goes with many things players attempt, I'll tell people that the halfling has low strength and can't jump across the chasm because it's too far but review options.

So if for some reason the PC things putting on gauntlets will protect them from a needle trap, I'll tell them that I disagree and why - that the need is going to pierce the part of the hand not covered by the metal of the gauntlet. But maybe through discussion we could come up with some other way of disarming it.

It's a myth that "Always saying yes" always leads to a better game. I find "No" with a follow-up and discussion is more engaging in many cases.

It's a wild strawman that 'wearing a metal gauntlet for the last stage in order to counter a poison needle' equates to 'always say yes no matter what it is'.

You can always always always come up with a reason why something 'wouldn't work' or 'still needs a roll'. I think the quoted example is plausible and smart and I would certainly allow it.

 

[soviet]

Sure,I’m just saying that if you of all things pick a fighter, you might have some hope of getting to actually fight at least a little.

This is the most superficial take I have ever seen.

 

[Reynard]

This is the most superficial take I have ever seen.

Why? How? People choose classes based on their intended role in play.

 

[Stormonu]

What are your adventurers even doing in a dungeon if there aren't any monsters to fight or parlay with? I honestly don't understand the idea of an empty dungeon being even the slightest bit interesting to explore.

Hey, even the equivalent of navigating a corn maze can be interesting if done properly.

I personally can't stand dungeons where beyond every door there is a fight. Having a room or two with nothing in them (or seemingly nothing...) can build tension and makes the rooms that are occupied more exciting. The old I6 - Ravenloft is a good example of doing a mix of empty and occupied well, especially since Strahd can and will move around in the castle.

 

[soviet]

Why? How? People choose classes based on their intended role in play.

So is a fighter's intended role "I engage enemies in combat and do nothing else"?

 

[Reynard]

So is a fighter's intended role "I engage enemies in combat and do nothing else"?

Nobody said fighters couldn't do anything else, only that the player likely chose the fighter because they wanted to, you know, fight.

Here's a important thing: player character choices -- races, classes, skills, etc -- communicate a huge amount of information to the GM, and GMs should consider that information when running adventures.

 

[Reynard]

Hey, even the equivalent of navigating a corn maze can be interesting if done properly.

I personally can't stand dungeons where beyond every door there is a fight. Having a room or two with nothing in them (or seemingly nothing...) can build tension and makes the rooms that are occupied more exciting. The old I6 - Ravenloft is a good example of doing a mix of empty and occupied well, especially since Strahd can and will move around in the castle.

Sure. I did not mean to suggest that a dungeon should be only or constant fights, just that they were, to me, an important component of the playstyle.