D&D General Playstyle vs Mechanics

[soviet]

That's a slight exaggeration, but yes, I had a lot of 17 year old archmages during the 3e years. Most DMs don't advance time that much during campaigns.

That said, "hamstring the criminal background" is also an exaggeration.

If an existing character, say a Fighter, decides to take a level of wizard with no prior mention of learning magic or interacting with wizards, and in a wilderness with no opportunity to find another wizard, would you let them go ahead?

 

[Mort]

That said, "hamstring the criminal background" is also an exaggeration.

Is it?

I've seen multiple DMs who noped the criminal background (and other features of other backgrounds) to the point of me asking why did they bother allowing it. And yet these same DMs had no problem letting just about any "magic" solutions through. I wouldn't call it an exageration at all.

 

[soviet]

Is it?

I've seen multiple DMs who noped the criminal background (and other features of other backgrounds) to the point of me asking why did they bother allowing it. And yet these same DMs had no problem letting just about any "magic" solutions through. I wouldn't call it an exageration at all.

'It never works' sure feels like hamstringing to me

 

[Aldarc]

OK, but then most of the rules seem unnecessary. Why roll dice and apply complicated rules to see whether characters succeed, why not just let the players to decide? That way they can choose what makes most interesting story for them.

There are! So why play D&D if that’s your preference?

IMHO, this is arguably a pretty good question to ask Matt Mercer and Critical Role.

 

[bloodtide]

I assume virtually every D&D DM has to do some level of prep before running a game. What difference does it make what form that preparation takes?

But it is not that a DM does prep or not. It is heavy prep.

I really, really do not understand what the issue is other than some weird classification to label some people's style of play and declare that it's somehow an aberration or unusual. I do have notes. Sometimes I use pictures for NPCs and a handful of maps. Just like many DMs I've had that ran modules instead of homebrew. But I rarely do detailed maps, I don't have sets for miniatures, play lists or music.

So sounds like your Middle or Average Prep.

But I get it, I REALLY do, some don't like it. Looks like the designers recognized that and have new backgrounds that are IMO blander, but certainly more in line with that feeling.

I dislike such features.

One of the worst things is that many players think they can't do things unless their character has the game rule mechanical feature. The second is such features treat the whole game world as a single, bland, boring place. The generic feature just says "you can do X"....anywhere. Even in places where it would make no logical sense at all.

 

[Mort]

I dislike such features.

One of the worst things is that many players think they can't do things unless their character has the game rule mechanical feature. The second is such features treat the whole game world as a single, bland, boring place. The generic feature just says "you can do X"....anywhere. Even in places where it would make no logical sense at all.

I game with folks who seem to be able to think critically about the features and don't abuse them to absurd results. I would hope that's not some rare, unicorn like group!

I really have found that if you trust the players, they tend to reward that trust with good (and fun) gameplay that moves the game in fun and interesting directions.

But maybe I've just been lucky/fortunate.

 

[mamba]

'It never works' sure feels like hamstringing to me

good thing no one actually suggested that then and it was only used to smear the ‘other side’

 

[Oofta]

good thing no one actually suggested that then and it was only used to smear the ‘other side’

I would also say that even if I don't use the background feature it's because I'm replacing it with features that will actually be useful on a regular basis. It's never about saying "no", it's about trying to find more ways to say "yes".

 

[soviet]

good thing no one actually suggested that then and it was only used to smear the ‘other side’

?
Yes they did. 'Your character is 16 and only just became a criminal, he doesn't have a network of contacts'

 

[tetrasodium]

You would think everyone involved in these threads was aware of that by now, but we still see lots of questions where people forget.

Worse is the tendency for these discussions to give players a free pass when they blatantly play as the second group where their role is to overcome at any cost while invoking the role play vre rollplay shield of that first group's role of tell a story to kneecap & paint the gm as an unreasonable hostile actor leaping to undermining players over the most trivial of unexpected snags.

Obviously wotc felt that was an unreasonable catch 22 to continue tackling GM's with when they removed the features themselves.