D&D General Harshest House Rule (in use)?

[Emerikol]

I'm very much a fan of a starting the party into some in medias res situation where they already know each other.

In some of my last few games, I've had:

1) Two groups of special military operatives for two recently allied nations, joined together in a task force to investigate necromancers. (7th level)
2) All the PCs were in the same brutal labor camp, and then shipwrecked together on the way to a mysterious island. (1st level)
3) A mercenary group that had already been working together for a year, starting on a new contract to find a lost magic item in a dungeon. (8th level)
4) 20 years ago, the PCs saved the kingdom from an elemental invasion. After a peaceful retirement, the king has begged them to return to service to stop a new threat. (10th level)

Sounds like you play a lot of campaigns that don't start at 1st level. I almost never do. That is not a criticism. Just an observation.

 

[TwoSix]

Sounds like you play a lot of campaigns that don't start at 1st level. I almost never do. That is not a criticism. Just an observation.

Outside of OSR style play, I'm not a fan of low-level gaming. For 5e, I'm a firm believer that late Tier 2-early Tier 3 (8th-13th) is the sweet spot of play.

I'm also very much not a fan of long games. 30 sessions is about my max, and I usually aim for less.

 

[TwoSix]

While I do like it if the characters all start knowing each other or even friends.....I leave that 100% up to the players.

So by "intro" you were just talking about a limited game? Ok. Well, in general, I do like the unlimited game. So I avoid the limited "everyone is X", unless the players really, really, really want it.

By "intro", I meant how you do deal with the first session or two, when the PCs are just getting started?

 

[bloodtide]

By "intro", I meant how you do deal with the first session or two, when the PCs are just getting started?

I have long slow intros. Generally several weeks...or until the player kills their character off.

I like to start all the characters as Clueless Berks. And assuming the player can pay attention, role play and wants to/has the ability to learn, then the player will slowly become less clueless. A good clever player can even speed this up and advance in knowledge quickly.

If the player can, they will soon enough know an average amount of knowledge about common things.

 

[TwoSix]

I have long slow intros. Generally several weeks...or until the player kills their character off.

I like to start all the characters as Clueless Berks. And assuming the player can pay attention, role play and wants to/has the ability to learn, then the player will slowly become less clueless. A good clever player can even speed this up and advance in knowledge quickly.

If the player can, they will soon enough know an average amount of knowledge about common things.

Ok, but what's the in-setting logic used for the characters not knowing these things? Or are you pretty solid in playing primarily in pawn stance?

 

[Emerikol]

If you mean a player that has a character will a high skill in history. Then no.

So a person trained in history cannot query their memory and find out about the history of which they are a supposed expert? Or are you saying that no such skill exists in 5e? I am struggling to follow your point at times.

 

[TwoSix]

So a person trained in history cannot query their memory and find out about the history of which they are a supposed expert? Or are you saying that no such skill exists in 5e? I am struggling to follow your point at times.

To be fair, @bloodtide's been posting here for well over a year and I still have no idea what edition they use. I think they enjoy their veil of mystery.

 

[bloodtide]

So a person trained in history cannot query their memory and find out about the history of which they are a supposed expert? Or are you saying that no such skill exists in 5e? I am struggling to follow your point at times.

I'm not sure if it exists in 5E....I would not care if it did, even when playing 5E.

And yes. There is no rolling to "know everything" in my games. The player knows, and can role play the character knowing. That is it.

In general, I would suggest to players don't make a "super duper history expert character" unless you the player are a history expert yourself.

And I'm more then willing to work with a player....outside the game...to help them read tons and tons of material so they can become a faux expert.

Ok, but what's the in-setting logic used for the characters not knowing these things? Or are you pretty solid in playing primarily in pawn stance?

They are clueless characters. Say like a farm that has been on the farm their whole life. Or in a monastery or library or prison. Or even just a dumb townsfolk that just played games as a kid.

To be fair, @bloodtide's been posting here for well over a year and I still have no idea what edition they use. I think they enjoy their veil of mystery.

5E a lot.

 

[TwoSix]

They are clueless characters. Say like a farm that has been on the farm their whole life. Or in a monastery or library or prison. Or even just a dumb townsfolk that just played games as a kid.

So definitely pawn stance. Character knowledge is a function purely of player knowledge; assignment of a metagame resource (skills, class levels, backgrounds, etc.) can't be used as a resource to call upon character knowledge the player doesn't already know.

 

[Emerikol]

I'm not sure if it exists in 5E....I would not care if it did, even when playing 5E.

And yes. There is no rolling to "know everything" in my games. The player knows, and can role play the character knowing. That is it.

Then I believe no one in your game is choosing any skill that involves the recalling of knowledge. Do rogues use their disarm device skill? Should the player just stand up and pick the door to your garage?

In general, I would suggest to players don't make a "super duper history expert character" unless you the player are a history expert yourself.

And I'm more then willing to work with a player....outside the game...to help them read tons and tons of material so they can become a faux expert.

Unless you are running the game in the real world and even then it wouldn't really be the real world, how could a person study up on your private world. If you just have everything detailed out and I can just grab your notes and go to town, does that mean I can essentially know everything about your world?

Not to be offensive at all but I am honestly baffled how this works. Even in 1e, without skills, I'd either think "yeah they'd know something about that", or I'd roll a d6 with 1 being not much and 6 being a lot. Maybe intelligence helps.

For the sake of verisimilitude for your game I'd suggest all your PCs get teleported blind into your campaign and thus lose all their background knowledge from their old world. Because that is how you are making them play.

They are clueless characters. Say like a farm that has been on the farm their whole life. Or in a monastery or library or prison. Or even just a dumb townsfolk that just played games as a kid.

5E a lot.

Oh if I'd grown up in a monastery, I'd have read all the books in it. If I'd been raised on a farm, I'd know at least some of the local villagers and my neighbors. Think about all the people you know even if you are living in your mom's basement you will know people.

I'd find your campaign as you play it pretty unbelievable.