D&D 5E (2024) Mike Mearls explains why your boss monsters die too easily

[Yaarel]

At a lot of tables, the GM doesn't control things by anticipating the maths. The GM controls things by intervening directly, fudging dice rolls or manipulating the fictional situation.

As DM, I prefer tight math, so that I can better plan combat outcomes. If something goes awry, I can narratively explain the unpredictability as "verisimilitude" and even narratively intervene if necessary.

But I still prefer solid math.

 

[Yaarel]

So is there a point you feel that wotc should consider thinking about gms instead of brazenly ignoring the desires and needs of gms given that just about every table is going to have one GM and multiple players?

Failing to do that is why so many of the 5e issues being discussed in this thread are such a problem. Wotc should decide if they are either going to start supporting GMs or if they would rather start standing in the line of fire by making it explicitly clear that the gm should not be getting heat for making the kinds of changes 5e is designed to expect & require from them.

When I say "players" of the game, I am including the DMs. DMs play the setting. DMs need to be happy with a setting and ruleset, just like adventurers need to be happy with their character and ruleset.

 

[Yaarel]

I don't have any idea, but the surveys do ask for age and other demographic information, and people in thst age range have smart phones these days, and rhe Internet.

I suspect, grognards have the advantage when designers look closely at the surveys.

 

[Mort]

So is there a point you feel that wotc should consider thinking about gms instead of brazenly ignoring the desires and needs of gms given that just about every table is going to have one GM and multiple players?

Failing to do that is why so many of the 5e issues being discussed in this thread are such a problem. Wotc should decide if they are either going to start supporting GMs or if they would rather start standing in the line of fire by making it explicitly clear that the gm should not be getting heat for making the kinds of changes 5e is designed to expect & require from them.

I've found 5e much more DM friendly than 3e. Specifically, DMing 3e to high level (tier 4) became a difficult slog for me. I've found DMing high level 5e significantly easier, and have enjoyed DMing through tier 4 a lot.

 

[Parmandur]

I suspect, grognards have the advantage when designers look closely at the surveys.

I mean, per Jeremy Crawford some tike ago, the people filling out the surveys (and playing the game in general) had started with 5E. If they are grognards, it would be for 2014 rules.

At this point, a lot of the designers at WotC started with 5E. The manager of the whole team, Justice Armin, started DMing with 5E.

 

[tetrasodium]

When I say "players" of the game, I am including the DMs. DMs play the setting. DMs need to be happy with a setting and ruleset, just like adventurers need to be happy with their character and ruleset.

That's a distinction without value though and was my reason for being explicit that nearly every game is going to be one GM and multiple players. When wotc makes polls asking "players" what they think with explicitly asking if they are a player with a PC or a gm who is responsible for running the game it relegates gone to an easy to ignore status because the poll results are entirely incapable of being weighed for or against one or the other subset of "players".

 

[Yaarel]

That's a distinction without value though and was my reason for being explicit that nearly every game is going to be one GM and multiple players. When wotc makes polls asking "players" what they think with explicitly asking if they are a player with a PC or a gm who is responsible for running the game it relegates gone to an easy to ignore status because the poll results are entirely incapable of being weighed for or against one or the other subset of "players".

I consider the "job" of the DM is to make the players happy. So, I dont see a problem with the designers wanting to make the players happy.

DMs need to be happy too. And the more DMs there are, the more players there will be. The game relies on DMs to exist.

At the moment, 5e makes an effort to be very player friendly. But it also needs to be easier to DM. Probably 4e is the best edition for DMs to run.

 

[Minigiant]

I suspect, grognards have the advantage when designers look closely at the surveys.

Many of the decisions in the game that still remain in a game what decisions made for grognards who no longer play the game.

At some point, the community that exists for 5e and for the continuation of D&D has to be willing to change things and lose access to their old product in order to get the product that they do want.

 

[Yaarel]

Many of the decisions in the game that still remain in a game what decisions made for grognards who no longer play the game.

At some point, the community that exists for 5e and for the continuation of D&D has to be willing to change things and lose access to their old product in order to get the product that they do want.

Surveys (democracy sotospeak) facilitate this peaceful transfer of power to the next generations, and when the majority of people are ready for such change. Hopefully, via win-win scenarios.

 

[payn]

Many of the decisions in the game that still remain in a game what decisions made for grognards who no longer play the game.

At some point, the community that exists for 5e and for the continuation of D&D has to be willing to change things and lose access to their old product in order to get the product that they do want.

This is an sssumption that your preferences are what folks want in D&D I wouldn’t be so sure of. Lotta folks trying to do the talking today for everyone else it seems.